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THE 


AMATEUR MOTORIST 


BY 

MAX PEMBERTON 

Motoring Editor of “ The Sphere ” 


WITH 68 ILLUSTRATIONS 
Mostly from Photographs 


Chicago 

A. C. McCLURG & CO. 


London: HUTCHINSON & CO. 

1908 :'::/;;; 







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PRINTED IN GREAT BRITAIN 


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FEB 2S 19.18 


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AUTHOR’S FOREWORD 



HIS book is in some measure the development of 


^ certain articles I have been privileged to write for 
The Sphere. These are reproduced by the kind permission 
of Mr. Clement K. Shorter and the proprietors of that journal. 
I would also record my indebtedness to Mr. Eustace Gray, 
Mr. A. L. Haydon, and* to my brother, Mr. Algernon 
Pemberton, for their unfailing readiness to help my project. 

If any further word be needed, it is one which would 
disclaim any technical merit for this book. My chapters 
are addressed entirely to amateurs. I have endeavoured to 
write both for those who own cars and for those who would 
own them—helping the former by a record of personal 
experiences, and the latter by a restatement of those 
elementary facts which are often obscured in the more 
scientific discussion of the petrol engine. 











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CONTENTS 


Book I 

THE MAN 

CHAP. page 

I. The Motorist of Yesterday . . . . i 

II. The Motorist of To morrow .... 9 

III. The Purchase of a Car.16 

IV. In Favour of the Amateur Driver ... 24 

V. A Chapter of A B C.28 

VI. Reminiscence and a Lesson .... 44 

VII. Driving as a Fine Art.53 

VIII. The Subject Continued.61 

IX. The Man and the Engine ..... 68 

X. Chauffeurs.72 

Book II 

THE CAR 

XL The Motor-house.81 

XII. The Care of the Engine.88 

XIII. The Care of the Engine {cojithiued) . . . 103 

XIV. Carburettors.113 

XV. The Science of Carburation . . . .123 

XVI. Going Aft to the Propeller .... 132 

XVII. A Gossip about Tyres.141 

XVIII. The Small Car .. .151 

155 

161 


XIX. The Body of the Car . 
XX. The Sale of the Car . 

vii 








CONTENTS 


viii 


Book III 

SOME CARS OF OUR OWN TIME 

CHAP. PAGE 

XXL From the Maker’s Point of A^iew . . .164 

Book IV 

TOURING 

XXII. The Motor Tourist. 237 

XXIII. Touring Abroad { contumed ) . 243 

XXIV. English Touring. 25a 

XXV. Luggage-carrying ...... 260 

XXVI. Insurance. 264 

Book V 

THE MOTOR^CYCLE 


XXVIL The First Motor-cycles. 269- 

XXVIILThe Choice of a Motor-cycle .... 275 

XXIX. How TO Keep a Machine in Order . . . 287 

XXX. On the Road. 298- 

^ ^ ^ 

XXXI. A Word about the Motor-boat . . . 304 

XXXII. The Motor Clubs. 30S 





ILLUSTRATIONS 


Mr. Max Pemberton. Frontispiece 

FACING PAGE 

The Early De Dion Tricycle.6 

Ten Years Ago on a Bollee.6 

The Six-cylinder Napier ready for Touring . . . io 

The 60-H.p. De Dietrich.20 

Mr. Charles Jarrott.• . .26 

Mr. S. F. Edge.54 

Mr. D. M. Weigel in his Grand Prix Racer . . .60 

The 20-H.p. Rover Chassis.70 

The Six-cylinder Mercedes Chassis.70 

Messrs. Botwood & Egerton’s Garage at Newmarket . 80 

Interior of Messrs. Mann, Egerton & Co.’s Garage, 

Norwich.* . . . .80 

A Lanchester Brougham.82 

A Striking Daimler Limousine '.96 

The 15-H.P. Panhard Landaulette (open) .... 96 

A LATE Spyker Model.116 

The 15-H.P. Mors Chassis.116 

The 40-H.p. Weigel Chassis.126 

The De Dion Rear Axle.134 

Gear-box of a Six-cylinder Rolls-Royce.134 

Details of the Daimler Carburettor.136 

The Daimler Gear-box and Differential . . . .136 

Showing the De Dion Dash and Clutch . . . .138 

Lanche.ster Rear Axle showing Worm Drive . . .138 




IX 












X 


ILLUSTRATIONS 


The 30-40-H.p. Fiat . 

The 8-h.p. De Dion . 

The New Kellner Body (closed) 

The New Kellner Body (open) 

The Windham Detachable Body 
A Hotchkiss Limousine 
The Famous Six-cylinder Hotchkiss at Newmarket 
One of the Latest 45-H.p. Mercedes 
The Six-cylinder Brooke Car .... 

The Six-cylinder Darracq Car .... 

Chassis of the Six-cylinder 40-50-H.p. Rolls-Royce 
The Engine of the Six-cylinder Rolls-Royce . 
45-H.p. Six-cylinder Siddeley : The Queen’s Carria 
A 20-28-H.p, Spyker Car .... 

The Adams-Hewitt Car .... 

Chassis of the Six-cylinder Napier 
The Hildebrand & Wolfinuller Bicycle 

Bollee Tricycle. 

The Triumph. 

The Bat Twin Cylinder Motor-bicycle 


FACING page: 

. 146 


The Phoenix, a Medium-weight Tricar 
COOLED Engine. 


WITH W 


TER- 


Example of Singer Bicycle with Engine in Rear Wheel 

Mr. S. F. Edge starts his Career as a Racing Motorist 
ON A Motor-tricycle. 

A Club Run in the Olden Times. 

A Brooke Motor-bo.\t on Oulton Broad .... 
“Baby II.” doing 14 Knots. 


152 

156 

156 

158 

196 

206 

206 

216 

216 

224 

224 

226 

246 

246 

252 

270 

270 

270 

270 

280 

280 

290 

300 

304 

304 









ILLUSTRATIONS IN TEXT 


PAGE 

A Simple Type of Automatic Carburettor . . . .31 

The Krebs Carburettor.33 

Simple Drawing to Illustrate the Otto Cycle . 34, 35 

Half-perspective Drawing of the Argyll Gear-box . 39 

A Simple Form of Universal Joint.40 

A Half-perspective Drawing of a Differential . . 42 

The Lubricating System on the Daimler Cars—Mercurial 

Pressure-gauge on Dashboard.89 

A Common Method of Wiring a Four-cylinder Car . 93 

Type D.4 Simms-Bosch Magneto.104 

Showing the Contact-breaking Mechanism (Simms-Bosch 

Magneto).105 

Armature Revolving Clockwise.107 

Armature Revolving Anti-clockwise.107 

Drawing to Illustrate Wiring of Type D.4 Simms-Bosch 

Magneto.109 

The Lanchester Carburettor.114 

The Rover Automatic Carburettor.120 

GILLETT-Lehmann New Float.121 

Gillett-Lehmann Throttle.131 


xi 









HL 


THE AMATEUR MOTORIST 


BOOK I 

THE MAN 


CHAPTER I 


THE MOTORIST OF YESTERDAY 



HE small boy who was asked whether he would sooner 


1 be Lord Kitchener or Napoleon chose the former role 
unhesitatingly—because, as he wisely reminded us, Napoleon 


is dead. 


The Motorist of Yesterday, if he be not dead (and then let 
us suppose he is driving a forty-horse Helios car across the 
starry kilometres of the heavens), is very much the Motorist 
of To-day—and will be, should fortune permit, the Motorist of 
To-morrow. I know no sport which wins a finer loyalty from 
its devotees ; none which so breathes upon them the spirit of 
a lasting enthusiasm. Those who abandon it rarely do so 
because they are not motorists at heart. The spell of it i.s 
unfailing—the grip of it is sure. 

It is for such a reason that I shall make no attempt in thi.s 
volume to write the story of the motor-car. That has been 
done, and well done, many a time and oft. The Marquis 
of Chasseloup-Laubat, Lord Montagu, the Hon. C. S. Rolls— 
eloquent writers bubbling with facts—have told us eloquently 
of the prehistoric days. We have read twenty times if we have 
read once of Cugnot’s steam carriage which astonished all 
France in the year 1769—and not only astonished France, but 
.so bravely charged the enclosure in which they “let it off” that 


2 


THE AMATEUR MOTORIST 


few of the spectators henceforth would come within a mile of 
it. We know of Hancock, who ran a merry steam coach in 
England in the year 1833, and attained a speed of thirty miles 
an hour. We remember the monstrous machine which Squire 
and Macerone built ; we know of Goldsworthy Gurney’s 
famous vehicle propelled by steam and fired by coke. These 
are historic and of the British Museum. The sage who 
reminds us that but for Parliament and the horsey man 
England would have been nearly seventy years ahead of her 
competitors in the matter of road traction is echoing a truth 
uttered ad nauseam. We know all this—the “ manuals ” have 
done their duty brilliantly. 

What, then, of the Motorist of Yesterday? How did he 
come to be ? What were his tribulations and his joys ? The 
study is useful, as the study of evolution ever must be. I 
recall many names as I write—the names of lusty pioneers, of 
Mr. Elliot, of the Hon. C. S. Rolls, of Mr. Ellis and Sir David 
Salomons, who, all honour to them, threw a stone at an 
antique law and first taught us to lisp first principles. 

These were they who, clad not in white raiment but in 
reeking oilskins, first brought the good news from France ; 
who first enlightened us as to what France was doing. They 
spoke of a revival in that excellent country dating from the 
introduction of the Ldon Bolide steam vehicle in the year 
1873. They told us of Count de Dion, who, beginning with a 
steamer, soon came to design a petrol engine which has had 
no rival in the story of motoring. They narrated the history 
of the Otto cycle, showed us how Herr Daimler had adapted 
it ; they brought the name of Monsieur Levassor across the 
water and cried in the market-place the merits of “ essence.” 
So to dull ears the awakening came. That which could not 
be done in England in the year 1833 because of the laws was 
also forbidden in the year 1894. But these men determined 
that it should be forbidden no longer. 

I was one of those who read from time to time the news of 
the new industry, as France was beginning to establish it. I 
remember well trying to master the principles of the Otto 
cycle, and being so much impressed by the possibilities of a 


THE MOTORIST OF YESTERDAY 


3 


gas engine as to use it for the purposes of romance. This 
would have been in the year 1893, t>ut three years were to 
pass before I rode in a self-propelled carriage. In the mean¬ 
time the more far-seeing of our newspapers did not fail to 
record all that was being done across the Channel. Apathetic 
as the public was, it could not fail to be impressed by the 
story of the first Paris-Bordeaux race, gallantly won by 
Monsieur Levassor on the first of the famous Panhard and 
Levassor carriages. Seven hundred and thirty-two miles 
accomplished in forty-eight hours and forty-eight minutes were 
sufficient to make even the horsey Englishman open his eyes. 
Here was a machine which attained a speed of some twenty 
miles an hour, which accomplished the whole journey without 
any considerable breakdown, which weighed but eleven and 
three quarter hundred-weights (approximately), and carried 
two passengers in comfort. The truth of it was amazing— 
it was also in a mea.sure the Emancipation Act of 1896. 

As the Marquis of Chasseloup-Laubat has told us, this race 
was remarkable not only for its achievement, but for the final 
triumph (for a decade at least) of petrol over steam. In the 
great Paris-Marseilles race of the year 1896 another Panhard- 
Levassor carriage was driven to victory by Monsieur Mayard, 
and this beyond all cavil was the father of the motor-car we 
use. Nothing to my mind is so astonishing as the attainment 
as it were at a single coup of all the essential features of the 
modern machine. Here in Monsieur Levassor’s car you had 
a four-cylindered engine driven by the explosions of the 
vapour of petrol; here you had a gear-box with the familiar 
change-speed lever—the clutch, the side chains, the differential. 
Improvements we have made abundantly, but the novelties 
even in the latest car are few indeed. And all this was the 
work of one head—one clever engineer who endowed us in an 
instant with this wonderful equipment. Truly should the 
name of Levassor be honoured by all who would write justly 
of this tremendous movement. No other man has done as 
rnuch—no other surely ever worked with a greater perspicuity 
or a more unqualified success. 

And so I come to the great Emancipation, to the days when 


4 


THE AMATEUR MOTORIST 


the new locomotion was fiercely but not unkindly debated in 
the House of Commons ; when at last, after many years, the 
man with the red flag was sent to the right-about, and we 
were free to go and come as we would and as we could. 
Naturally the passing of the Act of 1896 brought few motors 
immediately to our streets. I was in London at the time, and 
I cannot recollect meeting a single carriage until the month 
of October, when in the North of London I came upon an old 
friend gloriously mounted upon one of the first of the old Benz 
models. Wonderful vehicle ! How well it looked to my 
untrained eyes—a gem of a little carriage with bicycle wheels 
and a shapely body, and an engine thumping away at the aft 
end of it! This was the first automobile I entered. Candour 
compels me to admit that I cut no fine figure in it. 

My friend, of course, was enthusiastic. What old motorist 
of the glorious days was not ? I remember the pains he was 
at to show me its capabilities. He could do twenty-five 
miles an hour, he said, and stop the thing in three yards. 
An attempt to do so went near to landing us on the top 
of a horse omnibus, and we began again. This time some¬ 
thing appeared to happen in the neighbourhood of the poop. 
The machine did not exactly kick, but it lifted a leg, as 
it were, and looked angry. 

An investigation, completed to the satisfaction of twenty 
boys and a cabman, who obligingly asked if his whip would 
be any good, seemed to console my friend greatly. He 
covered his hands and his forehead with a smear of thick oil, 
and then said that something (I forget what) had upset the 
other thing (which has also escaped my recollection). At 
the end of half an hour we proceeded another three hundred 
yards, to the great delight of the populace. The fact that 
I clung to the carriage with both hands, remembered for¬ 
gotten prayers, and generally wore a “ God-help-me ” air was 
lost upon my enthusiastic friend, who continued to remind 
me of the charms of the new pastime. When I wished him 
“ good-night ” we had made nearly a mile in an hour and 
a half, and I went home convinced that I must motor though 
the heavens (and the horse omnibuses) fell. 


THE MOTORIST OF YESTERDAY 


5 


These old Benz carriages were those the public will remem¬ 
ber best when it recalls the early days of the new sport. 
Whenever we met a motor “ hung up ” by the roadside—and 
that was no uncommon occurrence—be sure that it was a 
Benz in difficulties with its ignition. Carrying the engines 
aft, and access to them being by a door which let down 
in the manner of the flap upon a butcher’s cart, the proprietor 
invariably wore the air of a man who was looking for a 
mutton chop he had mislaid, and would take some three 
weeks to find it. The great firm of Benz has made wonderful 
strides since those days, and its latest products are as fine as 
anything sold ; but its beginnings were distinctly of a halting 
nature, as every old motorist will remember. Had they not 
been so, some of us might have wearied of the pastime. We 
lived in the continuing delight of experience acquired. Every 
non-stop run—and how few they were!—was something to 
remember after many days. The recalcitrant engine became 
the beast that we hunted, and glorious were the trophies 
of victory. 

My second venture in a motor-car was in company with 
my friend Lord Northcliffe. He had always been conspicuous 
among the pioneers, and was one of the early purchasers 
of the famous six-horse Panhard car. This was really a 
capital little machine—one of the very first in this country 
which taught us that the new form of traction had come 
to stay. Capable of a speed of more than twenty miles an 
hour, its reliability, even in those days, was remarkable. 
I remember well my first ride in this little car, and the 
astonishment which attended it. Why, there was no mutton- 
chop hunting whatever! Not once did the man get down 
and look for the meat in the cupboard. Very noisy we 
should consider it nowadays, and its vibration would astound 
us, but it rarely failed to arrive at its journey’s end, and the 
fame of it established the success of the Panhard and Levassor 
firm beyond all question. 

In such a car I accomplished .some thousand miles or so, 
and never once was hung up by the roadside for more than 
a few minutes at a time. W ith the little De Dions, then 


6 


THE AMATEUR MOTORIST 


beginning to hammer about the roads, it saved the motor 
industry in England ; for it taught us that cars could be 
made to go, and that the dwellers in tents were mere un¬ 
fortunates who would learn better presently. In such little 
vehicles as these, the “six” Panhards, the first of the Peugeots 
and De Dions, the Delahayes, and the Leon Bollee tricycles, 
the pioneer motorist lived his happy life. Possibly he was 
already a “ road man.” He knew the joys of travel through 
the English lanes—the great Bath Road had become as 
familiar to him as Regent Street; he had cycled from Land’s 
End to John o’ Groats—he held the name of Jarrott and of 
Edge in high esteem already. And now, although refusing to 
“ patch up his old body for heaven,” this prime of ease was 
suddenly revealed to him ; this ability to do all he had done 
and to do it with legs at rest and body upright. To such 
the primary mechanical difficulties were but as specks upon a 
spotless horizon. A confident hope led him on. The day 
would come when all must be perfection. 

And then, renumber the novelty of the thing—the sen¬ 
sation these first appearances caused in town and village. 
1 recollect entering a hamlet in Norfolk upon one of the 
earliest of the motor bicycles, and so scaring a limited 
populace that two old women there and then made a leap 
for the churchyard wall, and if they did not clear it at a 
bound, at least rolled over very cleverly. In the country 
roads panic ran riot. I have seen timid women run right 
away to the very centre of a field perhaps a quarter of a 
mile distant, at the approach of a motor. Once upon the 
St. Albans road, where I was driving an old twelve Panhard, 
a very long curate on a very small pony held up his hand for 
nearly ten minutes at a stretch. The pony was in no way 
alarmed, but the reverend gentleman must have suffered 
agonies. At last he fairly bolted through an open gate, 
whereupon the pony began to graze without so much as 
cocking an ear at us; while the reverend gentleman expressed 
the pious hope that such things would not long be permitted 
upon the road. 

Most of these good people, I think, feared explosion, 



Photo lent by “ Motor Cycle." 

The Early De Dion Tricycle. 

«• 



Photo b\ G. I Test, Rottini^deatt and lin'i^hton. 

Ten Years Ago on a Bollee. 






i . 





THE MOTORIST OF YESTERDAY 


7 


“ Don’t you bring her inside here,” a Midland hotel-keeper 
once said to me ; and added the conviction, “ I’ll warrant 
her’ll explode.” An engine without a boiler meant nothing 
to the popular mind. And, of course, the little Locomobiles 
were then beginning to flash about—and merry times we had 
with them. Well do I recollect the experience of a young 
undergraduate friend of mine who, attempting to drive from 
Cambridge to Edinburgh upon a Locomobile, was just three 
days upon the journey. Two nights he slept out on the open 
moors, and was not daunted. Every conceivable part of the 
machine afforded him amusement. I think he would have 
been disappointed had it not been so. And what a triumph 
when at last, black, begrimed, a very tramp in appearance, 
he steamed into Edinburgh and said : “ Behold, it is your 
son ! ” This was necessary, as the parental edict set the dog 
upon all beggars. 

We began to mask ourselves also about this time—and 
pretty rumours filled the society papers. Few novelists 
touched upon the motor-car, for they did not know one end 
thereof from the other; but the mask delighted the makers of 
cJironiques scandaleuses^ and they guffawed loudly. What— 
that women should hide their features from the world, and 
go forth upon machines that invariably broke done in lonely 
places ? Deplorable ! A matter for the bishops. And the 
bishops, we may suppose, cried anathema ; those very 
ordinaries who are now careering about the country in 
twenty-horse cars, and bidding the chauffeur go “hell-for- 
leather ” to the Confirmation Classes—by which expression 
(our own) no episcopal hard-swearing is intended, but merely 
the phrase commonly used upon the hunting-field. 

The Motorist of Yesterday had to be many-sided—a man 
of patience, of some mechanical knowledge, of enthusiasm 
always, of hope eternal. Those were the days when we fired 
the charge in our cylinders by burners and white-hot tubes, 
and many a pretty bit of fun did the process afford. I recall 
an occasion upon the St. Albans road when—a pushing 
salesman having taken a friend and myself out in an original 
Daimler car—there was a terrible fiare-up under the burner, 


8 


THE AMATEUR MOTORIST 


and beautiful flames shot skyward to the height of the lamp- 
post. My friend—an exceedingly nervous man, who had 
suffered agonies upon the journey—simply sat speechless, 
while the salesman blandly assured us that this was merely 
a clever device for warming up the engine. We came near 
to cremation, but happily escaped it in the end ; it took some 
six good years to reassure my nervous friend, and to this day 
he is not wholly comfortable in a motor-car. 

All this, needless to say, did not impress the public with the 
virtues of the new movement. At times, I think, it came 
near to painless extinction—just as the old steam-carriages 
had been extinguished by “ horsey ” England in the ’thirties. 
There were accidents—then came the dust. Every old woman 
in the country, all the old women upon the benches, rural 
vicars, notoriety-hunting members of Parliament, those 
interested in the stable, farmers, horse-dealers, cab proprie¬ 
tors, job masters—every one who could make twopence 
out of the “ noble animal,” cried out loudly for the sup¬ 
pression of the industry. Motor accidents were made the 
most of in the press (a practice but little abated in our 
own time). The original Act of 1896, permitting us to motor 
upon the roads, was amended by the more drastic legislation 
of 1903, by which we were numbered and licensed, our speed 
set at the preposterous limit of twenty miles an hour, and a 
weapon put into the hands of country benches which, what¬ 
ever our prejudices, we must a’dmit has been grossly abused. 
All this, however, has but stimulated this splendid pastime, 
this colossal industry. As the new cars came along, it began 
to be perceived that the automobile must play a large part in 
the locomotion of the future. The introduction of the famous 
Mercedes in the year 1902 brought us at once in touch with 
the modern machine as we know and drive it. Subsequently 
history has been but a development of Mercedes ideas. We 
have copied them, adapted them, improved upon them, but 
have introduced little that is really novel. 

P'or, in truth, the Mercedes car made the Motorist of 
To-day; and who knows that from the same great house 
will not come the Motorist of To-morrow, 


CHAPTER II 


THE MOTORIST OF TO-MORROW 

R omance dreams great dreams for the Motorist of 
To-morrow ; but few of them are likely to be justified 
by the slow and unimaginative march of reality. 

I have read stirring word-pictures of this England of ours 
as the twentieth century and the motor-car will make it; but 
few of them move me to a sense of conviction or to anything 
beyond an admiration for the literary skill of those who 
write them. 

These dreamers are of many dispositions : some wholly 
optimistic ; some who dwell upon little except a manufac¬ 
turer’s opportunities ; others who merely generalise and are, 
I fear, woefully ignorant of elementary mechanical truths. 
The first is the most readable fellow, the second the most 
instructive, while the third may be left to the monthly 
magazine and the editor in search of a new sensation. 

Let us abide a little while with our cheery optimist and 
try to follow his glorious flights. The motor-car, says this 
worthy scribe, will be universal in ten years’ time—for 
he is a lover of the decimal system, you will note. The 
finest cars will be sold for £2^0, and every city clerk 
will have a car of some kind or other and keep it as 
a matter of course in the outhouse in his garden. Such 
universal possession will call for the creation of special roads 
for the motors. We shall have tracks radiating northward, 
southward, eastward, westward. Thousands of cars will pa.ss 
daily upon these, and at night the beauty of the .scene will 
rival all description. As for the railway.s, the electric trams, 
the motor omnibuses—they are doomed beyond any hope. 
Each man will be a traction company unto himself, and the 

9 


lO 


THE AMATEUR MOTORIST 


difficulties of travel will be at an end. The thing must come, 
says our cherry optimist. Sooner or later it is bound to be— 
as inevitably as the rising of the sun in the sky or the glory 
of the moon upon the waters. 

Our manufacturing prophet is no less emphatic, if his 
optimism strikes a different key. Here is the man who will 
take you into the corner and tell you an obvious truth : that 
every vehicle now upon the road, the cart and the carriage, 
the van and the lorry, the phaeton and the dog-cart, the 
duchess’s coach and the costermonger’s barrow—that these 
eventually must be propelled by mechanical means. The 
horse we lead immediately to the Zoological Gardens, where 
he shall be dealt with internally and externally according to 
the needs of the moment. Possibly a couple of specimens 
will be kept to show the “ beast who was ” ; but he, as Benn 
Gunn remarked upon a solemn occasion, is already as good 
as salt pork where the traffic problem is concerned. 

And so our friend proceeds to erect his monument more 
lasting than brass and of better metal. What fortunes must 
be made, not by one, but by a hundred houses! How 
numberless will be the multi-millionaires who must arise ! 
And how many other trades will benefit, and, in turn, endow 
their millionaires ! Merchants in steel and builders of bodies; 
workers in brass and workers in copper ; jobbers in the 
veriest trifles necessary to the adornment of the carriage ; 
wheelwrights and makers of tyres—you could name a hundred 
trades that will ultimately participate in this overwhelming 
prosperity and rebuild the country’s fortunes upon it. Let 
it be said in justice that this picture is not impossible; it is 
merely premature. Such a change will come to be. I doubt 
not that every vehicle will ultimately be mechanically driven 
as our good friend says. We shall eventually banish the 
horse from our streets ; but the day of his final disappearance 
will be seen by none now living—for those who talk in this 
way remember little of the story of their country and less of 
an Englishman’s characteristics. They are speaking wholly 
as mechanical experts. 

We are a horsey ” people, and we glory in the accusation. 





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THE MOTORIST OF TO-MORROW ii 

The greatest pageants in our story are pageants which the 
horse has made possible; our truest romance is rightly 
concerned with the “ faithful steed.” Reflect how to this day 
fox-hunting remains the king of all sports in the imagination 
of the people. Visit Epsom Downs upon Derby Day, and 
ask what the majority of the vast congregation there thinks 
of the motor-car. Discuss this great subject in any club 
circle, and note the poverty of the enthusiasm which the 
motor inspires. These are facts it would be more than foolish 
to disguise. There is nothing, be sure, in this universal 
substitution that is desired by the populace. The world will 
be no better; it will probably be a great deal less comfortable 
when mechanical traction is universal. This the far-seeing 
motorist does not disguise from himself. The pleasures of his 
pastime are in some measure the outcome of its limitations. 
When every high road is alive with cars, when there is a 
ceaseless roaring of exhausts and blowing of horns, when the 
railways are almost forgotten and the reign of the car is 
undisputed, then I venture to question if pleasure will have 
any say in the matter at all. 

Happily the day for all this is, in my opinion, far distant. 
I see no revolution at hand. I do not believe that either this 
generation or the next will witness the extinction of the 
noble quadruped or the universality of the motor. Such 
evolution must be as slow as evolution ever is. There will 
be ups and downs, progression and retrogression ; years when 
it will appear as though the motor movement had reached 
its goal; years when it will be carried on with amazing 
vitality. But all this has little to do with the Motorist of 
To-morrow. He, I take it, must be much as the Motorist 
of To-day. It is impossible to believe that any overwhelming 
revelation awaits him in the gospel of the motor-car. We 
know, I venture to think, exactly what we have to expect; 
we are not likely to be the satisfied victims of surprise. 

Nor is this to say that improvement will not be swift to 
come. The dreamer looks with some justice to the electric 
car for our final redemption. A believer, of course, in the 
phantasmagoric accumulator which Edison has not invented, 


12 


THE AMATEUR MOTORIST 


hoping day by day that America will be justified in her 
splendid boasts, telling himself that we have only to discover 
a battery to banish petrol from the world—here is a sleeper 
who is never awakened, and upon whom irony is wasted. 
It is vain to assure him that the chances against this all- 
conquering electricity are many thousands to one ; that 
whatever else science may do, she is not at all likely to find 
us accumulators which will make good the inherent defects 
in all cars driven by electricity. No scientific miracle, indeed, 
promises to astound the Motorist of To-morrow. He may be 
able to run an electric car fifty miles where now he can run 
it twenty. The fact would be of no consequence, for all the 
fundamental drawbacks would remain. There would be the 
old trouble about charging-stations ; the absurd limitations 
of speed; the nuisance of accumulator-changing ; the cost 
and worry of it all. At the best the electric carriage is 
perfect for the city ; at the worst it is for the scrap-heap. 

So our sceptic will pay but little attention to Mr. Edison, 
and less to the trumpet-blasts which herald the accumulator 
and accumulating puffs. If he hopes something from the 
steam car, it is with a timorous expectation for which time 
does little. The petrol car is king of the road to-day ; there 
are no facts which lead us to the belief that it will not be 
king of the road to-morrow. Possibly—and this is a deep 
problem—petrol will lead electricity to the altar, and there 
swear both obedience and servitude. We have been led to 
anticipate something of this kind by the recent appearance 
of the Mercedes Mixte Car and the many striking charac¬ 
teristics it possesses. But the day is not yet for the expression 
of an opinion, nor would such an alliance be disastrous to 
the argument. 

The Motorist of To-morrow will not, I think, care very 
much about speed. The days of the “ sixty-mile-an-hourer ” 
are over upon the British highroad. Even the speed maniac 
is quickly tamed nowadays ; while the sane man has come 
to see that thirty miles an hour is the comfortable gait, and 
that anything more, if persisted in, is but a short cut to 
suicide. 


THE MOTORIST OF TO-MORROW 


3 


All this leads to moderate driving and to moderate 
demands. We desire to see the country, and have discovered 
that we cannot see it when we are travelling at forty miles 
an hour. We wish to make our journey in comfort, and find 
that there is no comfort in the rush and roar of the monster 
car. We have learnt that the truest pleasures of motoring 
are tKose of independence, of rest, and of God’s fresh air. 
The early days, with all their revelations of the autocar’s 
possibility, naturally led us to some just excesses; but we no 
longer regard it as a wonderful thing to drive a car even 
at seventy miles an hour upon a highroad. It is merely 
foolish, and, while we so name it, the perils of the proceeding 
are no longer hidden from us. 

To travel in comfort, then, and to travel discreetly! This 
will be the ambition of the Motorist of To-morrow. But he 
will also desire to travel without delay, and to this end the 
manufacturer is helping him. Every car built will be driven 
upon detachable rims before a couple of years have passed. 
No longer shall we await those moments of anxiety when the 
town of our desire is but twenty minutes distant and the back 
wheel tyre is sagging in its rim ; no longer shall we stand 
and quote Socrates upon the highway when the guns have 
started for the covers and we have “ burst.” The detachable 
rim—capable of being fitted in something less than a minute— 
will put an end to all this. The Motorist of To-morrow will 
laugh when he reads of what the Motorist of To-day has 
suffered from punctures. 

“ Why,” he will say, “ the thing was an antiquity—you 
could not even depend upon it to catch a train.” And he, 
of course, will give no thought to tyres except to pay the 
bills. Forks and levers and patent hooks will not be found 
in his tool-bag. He will change a rim before his guest can 
finish the cigarette he has lighted. This may be a blessing— 
or it may be a curse. It would depend, as the Irishman 
said, “ whether it was the one lady or both av them who were 
in the car with you.” 

We shall possess engines as flexible as human ingenuity 
can make them ; we shall be driven in silence, and discreetly ; 


H 


THE AMATEUR MOTORIST 


we shall start our cars from the driver’s seat; but above 
all we shall have comfortable carriages. Here is the keynote 
for the Motorist of To-morrow. In the prehistoric days of 
the motor industry our “ bodies ” were the last things we 
thought of. Faithful to the apostolic tradition, we mortified 
the flesh and gloried in it. Two miserable seats in front, 
a bit of a tub behind—this was our motor body. No one 
seemed to think of comfort or to demand it. We squeezed 
the ladies into dismal corners and filled the intervening space 
with petrol cans. Even a Cape-cart hood was not known at 
that time. When men first began to cover their cars, the 
devices were crude beyond all imagination. Ridiculous 
canopies which rattled like dice-boxes, miserable canvas hoods 
resembling nothing so much as the wigwams of the savages— 
these were thought almost feminine in their luxury. It was 
odd that it should have been so when we remember that the 
very first carriages shown at an Automobile Exhibition in 
England were in a large part imitations of the broughams 
and victorias of our own time. 

Here is something I have never been able to understand. 
When a motor-car was first designed it was designed as a 
horseless carriage. I can recollect fine victorias with John 
perched high upon a box and a great wheel before him ; 
there were broughams built exactly as the broughams we 
know, and yet as unsuitable for motoring as the mind of 
man could conceive. And from this crudity we passed in an 
instant to the other extreme, and little Panhards came over 
to us with bodies that you must have a telescope to discover. 
We sat upon quasi packing-cases and thought them fauteuils ; 
we breasted the sun and the rain, the hail and the snow, and 
gloried in our martyrdom. So far as the body of a motor-car 
was concerned we began literally de novo^ building up stage 
by stage from the miserable tonneau of 1897 to tho Roi des 
Beiges of 1902. Then, at last, some one suggested the 
landaulette, and, upon that, the limousine was named. And 
so, step by step, to the luxurious carriages of our own time 
and all the comfort they bring with them. 

I have never altered my opinion that finality has not yet 


THE MOTORIST OF TO-MORROW 


15 


been reached in this matter, and that our carriage-builders 
will have much to say to the Motorist of To-morrow. It is 
all very well to box us up in a landaulette or limousine, but 
fresh air is the first requirement of the motorist; and little of 
that he gets in either contrivance. Justly desiring to be 
master of his own car, he will not drive the landaulette, while 
he drives the limousine reluctantly. And here the coach- 
builder must be his ally. We shall have bodies which will 
give us as much comfort as the limousine and as much fresh 
air as the phaeton. Something of the kind has already been 
• done, and excellently well done, by Kellner of Paris. There 
is the “All-Weather-Quick-Change-Body” by Mullet of 
Bristol to show the trend of things. Either of these carriages 
could be driven by an amateur and driven with credit. 
They give us perfect protection in all weathers ; they furnish 
us with an absolutely open car when we so desire it. And 
these are the demands of the well-schooled to-day. They 
will be the universal demands to-morrow. 

Let me not forget the small car and all that will be done for 
the man of moderate means even in the immediate future. 
Upon this I shall have much to say in a special chapter 
devoted to the small cars of the day. But it is clear that the 
little vehicle, at a price of somewhere about ;^^ICX), is to play 
a great part in the motor story, and to play it bravely. Such 
a car will take the place both of the motor-bicycle and of the 
tricar. Of this I have no doubt at all: but it will do more, 
for it will redeem the industry from the cheap sneers so often 
aimed at it and bring the motor indeed to the homes of the 
people. 

In this our greatest hope lies—that this movement shall be 
principally national, and that the Motorist of To-morrow shall 
be drawn from all classes of the community. 


CHAPTER III 


THE PURCHASE OF A CAR 

There is a ripple on the face of the waters and the family 
stands upon the bank watching it expectantly. Some one 
has been telling“ Pa” about motor-cars ; and “ Pa ” is making 
inquiries. Perhaps it was that young dare-devil Jones who 
picked “ Pa ” up at a funeral and drove him home with 
race glasses about his shoulder. Perhaps it was the family 
physician who is treating “Pa” for an excess of adipose 
tissue and has recently purchased a doctor’s car. In any 
case, the waters are stirred and a storm is brewing. 

It is really very interesting to trace these first beginnings 
and to follow them until they culminate in the acquisition 
of the car. How do people come to buy motors ? By what 
psychological process do they rid themselves, often instan¬ 
taneously, of the prejudices of years ? Looking about me 
in a neighbourhood abounding with motor-cars, I find a * 
ready solution to these simple problems. Like cures like, 
but it also produces like. We evolve after the eternal 
laws. Of those who become motorists, nine-tenths do so 
because a motorist has shown them the way. The remaining 
tenth is composed of mere observers. These men have read 
much about the motor-car; they are mechanical ferrets ; 
they have bought the technical Press ; possibly they have 
read the novels of Mr. and Mrs. Williamson and the stirring 
romances of Mr. Le Queux. And one day comes the idea— 
why should I not be even as these ? 

In a common way, however, the gospel is preached from 
the dashboard. The motorist makes the motorist. His is 
not a selfish pastime. He delights to have his friends by 
his side or to tuck them away in the tonneau behind. 

i6 


THE PURCHASE OF A CAR 


17 

Possibly a little pleasant vanity helps his hospitality. He 
must show Jones how he can drive, and let Smith see what 
a capital car he possesses. So Jones he hoists to a bucket 
seat, and Smith, begoggled and in undyed wool, is deposited 
in the tonneau behind. Here you see a proud owner in his 
proudest moment. What odds if a subsequent appearance 
is at the Police Court? The man has had his five pounds 
worth ; he has also converted Jones, but left Smith, it may 
be, unmoved. 

And here I may remark in parenthesis that these 
missionary efforts are not without their dangers. The old 
driver, accustomed to the high speeds of a motor-car, 
perfectly acquainted both with its possibilities and its 
limitations, too often assumes a similar knowledge on the 
neophyte’s part and is astounded to discover that he is 
mistaken. This is a woeful assumption, and pregnant of 
mischief. People who have been accustomed all their lives 
to jog along in dog-carts or sedate broughams are unhappy 
enough at the best when first they motor. Not a month 
ago I was asked by an old friend, who is a sportsman to 
his finger-tips, to drive him down to his links just to see 
how he liked the business. This was a man who had done 
most things that men do—an old cyclist, a shot, a horseman, 
Un oar ; and yet he had not been in the car two minutes 
before the truth was out. 

We were running along an open road, perhaps at a speed 
of twenty miles an hour. Before us there was the merest 
suspicion of a dip—a gradient, it may be, of one in a hundred 
—imperceptible almost to me, but terrifying to my friend. 
“ Look out here,” he said, “ you’re going down hill.” I per¬ 
ceived the situation in a glance. London had played the 
deuce with a good sportsman’s nerves. My friend sat almost 
paralysed in the “ bucket ” at my side, his hands grasping the 
cushions convulsively, his face deadly pale. Quite unused 
to any speed beyond that of a fast trotting horse, even 
twenty miles an hour could do this mischief. Had no 
consideration been shown to him, no pains been taken to 
assuage his fears, he would have been lost to motoring for 

2 


i8 


THE AMATEUR MOTORIST 


ever. For my own part I have a settled method to meet 
such cases, and this rarely fails me. Show the nervous man 
(or woman) how quickly your car can be stopped ; let him 
(or her) see with what precision it can be steered, and half 
the troubles are over. I pointed out to my friend, upon 
this occasion, that no hill, whatever it might be, could present 
any difficulty to a car which was carefully driven, and whose 
brakes were in good order. To bring the fact home to 
him, I stopped my own car within a yard without any strain 
or stress whatever. For the next ten minutes or quarter of 
an hour we were not driving more than fifteen miles an 
hour—but the day was still young when my friend would 
have been quite content to go at forty! 

Here were the beginning of things as they concerned one 
motorist at any rate. The man who clutched the cushions 
with convulsive hands is now the possessor of a Weigel car 
capable of doing sixty miles an hour or more, and is as 
enthusiastic a motorist as any in London. Had he been 
rashly or inconsiderately driven upon his first venture, I 
doubt not that he would have been lost to us for ever. And 
so I say that while motorists make motorists they may also 
unmake them, and that the ripple on the face of the waters 
may die away before even those upon the shore are conscious 
that there is a breeze. 

But we will assume that it does not die away, that the 
family gathered upon the bank is rewarded for its patience, 
and that one day “ Pa ” returns triumphantly to say that he 
has bought a motor-car. Possibly—and there is every chance 
of this—“ Pa ” has also bought a “ wrong ’un.” A friend 
who is a crank, or an agent who is a rogue, has lunched 
“ Pa ” at the club, and planted an old car upon him. This 
is an assumption I make with reluctance; but, none the less, 
made it must be. All over the country at this very moment 
there will be families hoping for the day when “ Pa ” shall 
be converted. Some of these, even if the number be very 
small, will be the victims of the rogue or the adventurer. 
It is in the hope of reducing that number considerably that 
I am led to write this chapter upon the Purchase of a Car. 


THE PURCHASE OF A CAR 


19 


You want a motor-car, and you want a good one. If you 
have an expert friend it is the most natural thing in the 
world that you should first go to him for advice; but, 
remember, this expert may have an axe to grind. The very 
fact that he is an expert may mean that he is interested 
in the sale of some particular car, and that not necessarily 
the best car for your purpose. I do not say that the man 
is dishonest —les affaires sont les affaires. If it is a living 
to this fellow to push the wares of a particular maker, few 
will quarrel with him because he does so. But you have 
no interest whatever in that maker ; his car may be not one 
for a family or a beginner—it may not, in short, be your 
car. 

Let us, then, start with the assumption that you know 
nothing whatever about motors, have no experience and no 
views. How shall you be guided ? Who shall be your 
philosopher and friend ? My answer is that in such a case 
you cannot do better than buy a car from a maker whose 
reputation is world-wide, whose wares are universally 
applauded. 

It would be insidious for me, and I shall make no attempt, 
to name one such maker before others, and to say he is 
your man. You will even as a novice have heard many 
names; you will know that certain cars, whatever may be 
the connoisseur’s nice verdict upon them, are absolutely 
reliable as family carriages. Just take up a copy of any 
technical paper, and read the advertisements of such firms 
as Napier, Crossley, Daimler, Panhard, Charron, Renault, 
Mercedes, Mors, Humber, Swift, Lanchester, De Dion— 
these and a dozen more at least. I say that you could do 
little wrong should you visit their factories. Their names 
are a guarantee both of fair treatment and of honest work. 
Above all others the novice should rely upon such reputations, 
upon such a prestige, and listen to no man who would 
detract from them. The individual view is often prejudiced 
by many outside considerations. I may think—as I do— 
that the 20-h.p. Renault is the finest mo^or-car for its horse¬ 
power ever built; I may regard the later Charrons as perfect 


20 


THE. AMATEUR MOTORIST 


family carriages; I may hold that the little De Dions and the 
little Swifts are the finest small cars built to-day. These, 
after all, are but an individual’s opinion. The novice is safe 
with any maker of reputation. 

I will assume, then, that your choice of car is determined ; 
that either upon the advice of a friend or of your own judg¬ 
ment you have decided to patronise some well-known maker, 
and to sample his goods. Now arises a far more important 
question. Of what horse-power shall your car be—of what 
nature generally ? 

To answer this question I must know precisely what the 
needs are. Is it to be a carriage in place of the brougham 
your wife is now driving ? Or, upon the other hand, do you 
mean to become a motorist yourself—to drive the car con¬ 
tinually and to make it your hobby ? Here are vital 
questions. 

If a substitute for the brougham be desired, you must take 
a different standpoint altogether. You, as an amateur, 
will certainly not wish to drive your own landaulette ; and 
so your capacity is not in the balance. Any good chassis 
of 20 h.p. will satisfy the family requirements when a pretty 
landaulette body is built upon it. There are even little 
landaulettes and limousines of 14 and 15 h.p. running about 
town and giving their owners every satisfaction. Should 
the carriage not be desired for touring, excessive horse¬ 
power is distinctly a drawback. Should touring be con¬ 
templated, then I venture to suggest that both landaulettes 
and limousines are out of the question altogether. 

This is somewhat a bold statement to make in view of 
modern practice ; and yet I make it unhesitatingly. The 
pleasures of motoring are the pleasures of the open air. 
An ^open motor-car enables you to see the country as you 
can never see it in a train, on a bicycle, or afoot. The 
splendid exhilaration of speed in the open air has, above 
all else, established the motor-car in the affections of the 
people. If we are to lose this, if we are to box ourselves 
up in stuffy limousines, then, I say, we are better off in any 
train, even the meanest, and will eventually go by train 



Photo by Ari^ent Archer, 
















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THE PURCHASE OF A CAR 


21 


wherever a railw^ay company permits us. From PTance the 
new and evil thing has come. Hostile as ever to the air we 
breathe, given to stuffy atmospheres and delighting in them, 
who shall wonder that the Frenchman turns to the limousine 
with joy and has closed every window wherever a wdndow 
stood open ? This man can know nothing now of the 
pleasures of motor touring. He is hurled about like an 
express trunk and, deservedly, treated with as little con¬ 
sideration. 

So I am a relenting opponent of the limousine where 
motor touring is concerned. I believe in the open car for 
the amateur; but in the car which can be closed should 
occasion and the weather arise. Let the man or woman 
who means to drive himself or herself order an open car to 
begin with, and see that such a car can be closed at will. 
Of this I shall have more to say when writing of motor 
bodies. The chassis is the first consideration—the size of 
it, the kind of it, and the horse-power by which it is driven. 
What is the correct horse-power for the beginner ? This, 
truly, is a vital question. His whole future as a motorist 
may depend upon it, his enthusiasm will respond instantly 
to success or failure in this vital matter. 

In the old days it was a maxim that a man must begin 
his motoring career, if possible, upon a motor-bicycle ; that 
he must proceed from that to a single-cylinder car of some 
6 h.p., and so train himself, stage by stage, until he arrived 
at the mastery which could control the monster. Our 
modern engines permit us to dispense with much of this 
preliminary coaching,and to pass our “general” examination, 
as it were, at an early stage in the academic career. The 
modern engine is so kindly and so flexible, its qualities and 
its failings are so well known, that the preliminaries may be 
well shortened and the beginner set in a four-cylinder car 
without any hesitation whatever. 

Remember that ten years ago expert and novice were 
alike experimentalists. None of us then knew very much 
about the petrol engine ; the wisest were often more foolish 
than the ignorant. We were working with a new power and 


22 


THE AMATEUR MOTORIST 


a power we had not yet learnt to control. Reliability was 
far from being a feature of the motor even of 1902. But we 
have changed all that. The modern engine is simplicity 
itself. It is quite possible to teach an amateur in a month 
that which the pioneers were a year in learning. The man 
who buys a modern car and is well coached by an old driver, 
who is at the pains to master the first principles of his 
engine, who takes a pride in its sweet running, and puts 
himself to some trouble in the choice of a driver to assist 
him—this man will do well enough on the four-cylinder car 
and will never regret his purchase. 

Let him begin with something under 20 h.p.—I know of 
nothing better than a 14 to 20-h.p. Renault, a 15-h.p. Fiat, 
a 14 to i6-h.p. Argyll, one of the smaller Charrons, or even 
our old friend the 15-h.p. Panhard. These cars are speedy, 
but never dangerously so. They are easy to control—as 
are all modern cars of any worth at all. They will give 
satisfaction. 

A car of medium horse-power, then—a four-cylinder car 
and one which will cost a sum between ;^400 and £600. 
Such are my ideas for the beginner. Even if he have 
motoring ambitions he will do well to curb them until he has 
graduated in these lower schools. 

A few years ago in Paris I was called out of my hotel 
one morning by a young American who had just purchased 
a 40-h.p. Mercedes. He asked me what I thought of it. 
When I expressed my admiration he went on to tell me 
that this was the first car he had owned and that he 
intended to drive it himself. I asked him, naturally enough, 
if he had been taught to drive, and heard with surprise that 
he had had two lessons on an old lO-h.p. Panhard. These, 
whatever they were, had taught the young man but little. 
He attempted to start the car upon the fourth speed ; and 
when it burked, he complained to me that Mr. Vanderbilt 
always started his Mercedes on the fourth speed, and that 
the agents had swindled him. In my turn, I pointed out 
that he must have misunderstood what Mr. Vanderbilt had 
done ; and so, upon this, he condescended to put the car 


THE PURCHASE OF A CAR 


23 


into the first speed, and shortly afterwards disappeared in 
the direction of the Place Vendome. Ten minutes later his 
car was a wreck in the Champs Elysees—a month from that 
date he himself lay dead upon the road to Chartres, and his 
young wife was one of the victims of the tragedy. 

An ancient story, but not to be forgotten. This poor fellow 
knew nothing of the perils of high speeds or of the control 
of a car when driven at them. He had attempted to take a 
corner at forty miles an hour, had skidded badly and struck 
a tree. Even such an old driver as Count Zborowski was 
killed, as we remember, in the south, because he changed 
from a 40-h.p. Mercedes to a 60-h.p., and did not appreciate 
the tremendous capacities of the newer car. Such facts 
cannot be without their lessons to any prudent beginner. 
Moderation, and upon that moderation. Here lies the road 
to the finest driving. 


CHAPTER IV 

IN FAVOUR OF THE AMATEUR DRIVER 

T hose who have been much upon the road during 
the past few months give promising accounts of the 
amateur driver. They report much both of “ him ” and of 
“ her.” All the wise-heads who told us that the domination 
of the chauffeur must become universal are being derided by 
events. The amateur driver has not disappeared—far from 
it, “he” or “she” is an increasing quantity. The number 
of those who drive their own cars grows larger every day. 
Even nervous men are being persuaded ; they are discovering 
how simple a thing it is to drive their own car, and how 
pleasurable. And all this must be held to be very good 
for the industry. 

I have always hoped that we should arrive at such a state 
of things, and cannot but feel a large gratification that it is 
so. It may be true, as some of the wiseacres used to say, that 
there is nothing much in driving a car; but here we are faced 
by a question of temperament and can enter upon no profit¬ 
able argument. If a man have not the road habit, if the 
delights of the high road are unknown to him, then there 
is nothing in motor .driving. You might as well ask a long¬ 
shoreman, who is sick at Gravesend, to set up a yacht as 
an inveterate “ first-floor hotelier ” to drive a Mercedes two 
hundred miles. This man may have other pleasures, other 
sports, but he will never be converted to the road habit. His 
idea of travel is a stuffy train with a pile of newspapers, closed 
windows, and plenty of smuts upon his nose; possibly he dis¬ 
likes fresh air; he is the kind of man who complains of “those 
d-d nightingales.” 

So we shall leave this person entirely out of the question. 

24 


IN FAVOUR OF THE AMATEUR DRIVER 25 

There are many others, however, who are beginning to 
perceive how much they lose by permitting a hireling to drive 
their cars. Why, driving for some of us is half the pleasure 
of the business. By driving alone do we cultivate a sympathy 
for our engine, a response to its complaints and a mutual 
rejoicing. Driving braces our nerves, clears our eyes, stimu¬ 
lates our faculties. Those who prate of the laziness of 
motoring have surely never driven a car even a hundred 
miles. Let them do so and they will sing another song. I 
can assure them that they will want no other exercise upon 
that day at any rate. 

Let it be clearly understood that the mere driving of a 
motor is not a difficult business. I am often told by those 
who do not drive that they have not sufficient nerve, a 
ridiculous plea when we remember how quickly the control 
of a car is learnt, and how absolute it is. Of course, I am 
not going to say that every man will make a competent 
driver of a racing machine. Here nerve is required, and 
nerve of the finest quality; but just to drive a touring car 
at a reasonable speed on the King’s high road, to become 
master of it and to understand its humours, is a task of the 
simplest. I would guarantee to teach the so-called art to any 
man, sound in wind and limb, within a week. The second 
lesson should find any capable person already taking pleasure 
in the pursuit. 

These are plain truths, but there are others not so obvious. 
Just as two men may drive the same horse, and one make 
a sheep and the other a devil of him, so two men may drive 
the same car, and one make a crock and the other a perfect 
instrument of it. Even in the year 1907 one saw some wicked 
driving upon the road. Men with absolutely no knowledge 
of the first principles of motor mechanics were rioting abroad 
upon excellent cars, maiming them, destroying them, doing 
anything but discover their qualities. This seems to say that 
the drivers in question have never been taught by a man who 
knows his business. Possibly they are the victims of some 
school or other. They paid so many guineas for so many 
lessons, and the instructor “ saw ’em through quick.” They 


26 


THE AMATEUR MOTORIST 


were taught how to put the gears in, how to steer, how to 
stop the car. “ Shove this ’ere in and then let go of that ere 
pedal,” was an elegant phrase I heard myself in Hampstead 
not a week ago. It was spoken to a car-load of young 
men who had evidently paid some guineas to the orator in 
question. I am sure they were impressed, and the way they 
“ shoved that ’ere in ” could have been heard across the 
Heath. 

Undoubtedly the best way to learn motor driving is to 
take a preliminary course of observation. If such a thing 
be possible, let the novice ride as far as he can by the side 
of some old and experienced driver. Before he does this he 
will have read the subject up as far as it may be read in 
books, and become acquainted at least with first principles. 
He will not need to qualify as a motor engineer before he 
embarks upon this venture; but he should very clearly under¬ 
stand elementary principles, and he should know what happens. 
This will enable him to appreciate what the great driver is 
doing: he will understand the cleverness with which the gears 
are changed ; the nicety with which the engine is nursed, the 
absence of stress and strain, the willingness and sweetness of 
it all. As a second chapter in his course he might very well 
get up beside some ruffian from a garage, a banger-in of gears 
and a slammer-on of brakes; then he will be able to make 
profitable comparisons. 

I would say that it should be worth just about a sackful 
of gold to any amateur driver who could persuade Mr. Charles 
Jarrott to take him for a run of fifty miles before he begins 
his own adventures. He would then understand how simple 
are the anxious axioms upon which good driving is based. 

Nothing impresses me so much in the skill of these experts 
as their invariable caution, and the unfailing resolution with 
which they observe the rules of prudence. No dashing by 
cross roads, no neck-and-neck racing to take an opening 
which is doubtful, no cutting cyclists close or driving them 
into the gutter, no showing off in villages—but just a boat-like 
glide through different places, a perfect mastery always, and 
a sense of power which is splendid Out in. the open you may 



Photo ly Cantf>bell-Ciray. 


Mr. Charles Jarrott. 







IN FAVOUR OF THE AMATEUR DRIVER 27 


be holding on with both hands if you are a timid person. 
There will be no danger, howev^er; you need not even be afraid 
that you are going to heaven. 

If he has these plain truths before him, the amateur will 
very quickly learn to master his car. Let me assure hundreds 
of excellent people, who are now being hurled about by wild 
chauffeurs, that motoring would have a new meaning for them 
if they began to drive themselves. The business is simplicity 
itself. Any man of intellect could become the master of his 
car within a week. If he be a prudent man, he will start upon 
a machine of low horse-power, but not necessarily of less than 
four cylinders ; he will secure the best coach that he can, and 
for some while to come he will never attempt high speeds 
under any circumstances whatever. The idea that an unusual 
quality of nerve is required for this pursuit is, I repeat, entirely 
fallacious. A great literary worker said to me the other day 
that he was never too nervous to drive a motor-car. And he 
is a man who suffers constantly from nerves. I should have 
named him as the very last person in all London to think of 
taking up this splendid pastime. 


CHAPTER V 


A CHAPTER OF A B 

I T is a moot point how much a man should know of a 
motor-engine before he learns to drive a motor-car. 

For my part I would have him know much. “ Comfort 
may flow from our ignorance,” as Prior has told us ; but the 
suggestion of the ditch is too obvious to be passed by. It 
is perfectly clear that a man who knows something of the 
elementary principles of the motor-car will drive that car 
better than one who knows nothing. At the same time, it 
is absurd to pretend that your would-be driver should qualify 
as a quasi civil-engineer, and begin to prate to you of 
theories of rating and the mathematical values of com¬ 
pression. What we do demand is a simple understanding 
of the way iii which the car is driven ; of the first principles 
of the petrol engine and a general if superficial knowledge of 
the machinery our beginner is to control. 

Take a novice up to a motor-car, open the bonnet and ask 
him what he sees there. He will answer that he sees and 
smells a good deal. The engine itself will be to his untrained 
eye but a block, or two blocks, of cast iron ; he will tell you 
that he perceives a number of steel rods going up and down 
while a “ thing-a-my-bob ” is turning round, and a “ what-do- 
you-call-’em ” imitating it. Nothing strikes him as so com¬ 
plicated as this wonderful motor. He has not a dog’s notion 
how it works. This is an extreme case; but others will tell 
you boldly that it is run by oil—though how it is run they 

> The motorist of experience will look with a kindly eye upon this restatement 
of our motorist’s alphabet. Many letters tell me that there is a good excuse 
for its repetition even in the year 1907. 


28 


A CHAPTER OF ABC 


29 

know no more than the dead. Clearly, we have a case for 
drastic treatment; and drastically we shall treat it. 

Now, firstly, I should tell this novice a very few simple 
truths. And the first of these would be that the vapour of 
petrol is not only a highly inflammable but a very potent gas 
when subjected to compression and mixed with air. I should 
tell him that if you poured petrol into a dish and there 
lighted it, the result would be a flame of a vivid and volatile 
nature. On the other hand, should you procure some of this 
petrol, force it through a tiny jet or gather it up in a wick, 
^should you, in short, vaporise it, collect this vapour and mix 
a certain proportion of air with it, then you have the 
elements of a powerful and explosive mixture. Compress 
this gas somehow, subject it to a force which it cannot 
escape, then ignite it, and the mischief is done. You have 
contrived a fine explosion ; you have also contrived one 
which has great force behind it. 

Now, let us look at those lumps of cast iron we call the 
cylinders of our car. They are hollow, of course, and are 
meant for the very compression of this vapour we have 
spoken of. In each separate cylinder there is a pi.ston with 
a connecting-rod attached to the main driving shaft, to which 
a heavy fly-wheel gives regular rotation. When these pistons 
rise they naturally compress any gas there may be in the 
cylinder; when they descend by the force of the explosion 
of that gas, they drive your car. Here is the thing as one 
would tell it to a child ; and yet I have often found that it 
is the only way in which the non-mechanical mind can be 
brought to reason. 

We collect petrol vapour, then, and we contrive to get it 
into our cylinders. But how is that done? asks the novice. 
We answer him that it is done by the suction stroke of the 
piston itself. Take a penny squirt as an instance. When 
you draw the plunger back, water is sucked into the squirt ; 
when you push it down the water is ejected. Just in the 
same way when your piston descends it sucks up the petrol 
vapour and imprisons it in the cast-iron block. And this 
brings us immediately to the consideration of the very heart 


30 


THE AMATEUR MOTORIST 


of the engine—that wonderful contrivance, the carburettor, 
of which you have heard so much. 

It is all very well to say that petrol shall be sucked up 
by your pistons, but, believe me, the means by which this 
shall be done has puzzled our manufacturers for many years 
and is still far from a solved problem. When a motor-engine 
was first designed we simply had a square tank of petrol with 
a float fixed above the level of the liquid to break the vapour 
up. There were no jets, no mixing chambers, none of the 
paraphernalia we associate with the modern carburettor. 
Simple as the thing was, it served the old motor-bicycle 
better probably than any carburettor we have since known. 
But from the first it was obvious that we could not carry 
such a tank upon a motor-car ; or, if we could, that it would 
not serve us there. 

So the wits of the motor-engineer were set to work, and he 
designed that wonderful little instrument which takes the 
petrol from your tank and sprays it, with added air, into your 
cylinders. Just look at the simple drawing of a carburettor 
which accompanies this chapter. Every motor which you 
examine will have some such contrivance, and you must 
know all about it at the very beginning. There is, you see, 
a little pipe loading from the tank where the petrol is kept 
to that round cup into which the petrol is to flow. The cup 
itself has a float which rises or falls when there is or is 
not petrol beneath it; but more than this, you will see 
that the bottom of the chamber is shaped to admit a needle 
valve fitted through the centre of the float and so fixed to 
weights that when the petrol rises it closes the aperture and 
when the petrol sinks it opens it again. So you have the 
means of supplying your engine with a regular quantity of 
fuel ; and this is all-important. 

We have now to see how the vapour of the petrol is 
-gathered, and how the air is added to it. Look at the 
picture again, and observe that there is a tiny channel 
running from the float chamber to what is called the jet. 
This jet is not unlike a tiny gas-burner. It has a minute hole 
or holes through it, and the float in the other compartment is 


A CHAPTER OF A B C 


31 


so poised that the petrol can run to the top of this jet and no 
higher. This is what is called the mixing chamber. There 
is somewhere or other an aperture leading from it by which 



air is introduced ; there is a second aperture fitted with a 
small piston which will respond to the suction of the engine, 
and, when that suction becomes very strong, add additional 
air to keep the mixture correct at all speeds. 





































































32 


THE AMATEUR MOTORIST 


This air, mingling with the vapour of petrol, forms the 
mixture which is to enter your cylinders, to be subjected to 
compression there, and then to be fired by an electric spark. 
So you see how it comes to be that the carburettor is the very 
heart of your machine ; how upon its nice adjustment the 
success of your engine depends ; and how, if you do not 
understand it, you will never be able to drive a motor-engine 
at all. 

Here, then, are two things which the novice will see 
directly he opens the bonnet of a car. He will note the 
massive cylinders, the pipes that enter them, and the pipes 
by which the ga*s is driven out. Usually the pipe from the 
carburettor itself is plain enough, though he may often mix it 
up with the pipes for the cooling water. Upon the other side 
he will see the exhaust pipe, and will understand its functions. 
But the valves are still to be explained to him, as are the 
cooling system and the ignition by which the charge is 
exploded. Let us speak of the valves first: they rarely give 
trouble in a modern engine, but the novice would know little 
indeed if he did not understand something of them. What, 
then, are the functions of the valves as they concern our 
motor-engine? Surely, they will be obvious by this time. 

One of them., upon one side, admits the petrol vapour at 
the right moment for its compression ; another valve, upon 
the other side of your engine, permits the gases to escape 
when they have been so fired ; and these valves, you will see, 
are lifted and dropped in a most ingenious manjper. The 
central shaft has a cog-wheel at the end of it; into ‘this wheel 
two other cog-wheels fit, each being bolted to a smaller 
shaft, upon which cams are cut. These secondary shafts 
revolve at half the speed of the crank shaft, and so their 
cams raise and drop each valve once while the engine shaft 
itself is revolving twice. This tells us immediately what is 
going on in our motor-engine, and what is meant by the 
Otto cycle. 

Follow one of these pistons as we see it working. Firstly, 
it descends to the bottom of the cylinder, and while it 
descends the induction valve is open, and so the cylinder is 


A CHAPTER OF A B C 


33 


filled with gas ; this valve then closes. The piston rises and 
compresses the gas, at which moment the spark fires the 
mixture, and there is an explosion. Now the piston is driven 
down with force; the exhaust valve on the other side opens 


s 



3 

H 


A. Air Inlet. 

C. Jet Chamber. 

U. Jet. 

E. Inlet from Tank. 

E. Gas Chamber. 

G. Throttle Piston. 

H. „ „ Rod. 


J. Gas Outlet. 

K. Diaphragm Piston. 
M, Automatic Air Inlet, 

Q. Rubber Diaphragm. 

R. Diaphragm Spring. 

S. Vacuum Hole. 

T. Hot Water Jacket. 


The Krebs Carburettor. 


as the piston rises again, and the burnt gases are discharged. 

Once only in every two revolutions of your crank shaft 

is there such an explosion in any one cylinder. That is 

why we have four>oy’six‘’.cylinder3 h\ |i;rci’Q,d&vnVhiotor-engine, 

.... ... ....... ^ 














































































34 


THE AMATEUR MOTORIST 


so that the drive shall be as nearly continuous as we can get 
it, and there shall be no unpleasant vibration. 

When the beginner understands that the vapour of petrol 
drives his engine, that this vapour is delivered by a carburettor 
and admitted by valves to his cylinders, he must next learn 
how the compressed charge is fired and what we mean by 
“ ignition,” (I am devoting a special chapter to this later on.) 

Sparking Plug 



Simple Drawing to illustrate the Otto Cycle. 

(1) The Induction Valve is opening. 

(2) The Cylinder is filled with Gas. 


So far as the first lessons go, it will be sufficient for the 
npvice to know that a spark is produced in the cylinder at 
the moment when the piston is at the highest point, and that 
this spark fires the gases. 

Obviously if the piston were travelling at a very high rate 
of speed, and we timed our spark always to take place at 
the same i^istant, then we should arrive at such a condition 
of affairs that.th^ sdnTieiirn^sfbe produced, not 


« < 






























A CHAPTER OF A B C 


35 


when the piston was at its highest point, but almost at its 
lowest. So we must be able to vary the time of firing—that 
is, we must be able to produce the spark always when the 
piston is at its highest point ; and to do this is the purpose 
of that little manette upon our steering-wheel, about which 
our instructor \^ill have something to say. Before this, 
however, we may well understand that our accumulators or 




Simple Drawing to illustrate the Otto Cycle. 

(3) The Gas is compressed and lired. 

(4) The Exhaust Valve opens. 


batteries deliver current to the coil, and that this coil sends 
out a current of immensely increased voltage which creates 
the spark in the porcelain plugs in our cylinder heads. 
This, I think, is all we shall need to know when we take 
our earlier lessons in driving—that the spark is capable of 
variation, and that a clever driver must make this variation 
his closest study. 

Just consider the thing from the ABC point of view. 

























THE AMATEUR MOTORIST 


36 

When the piston is running slowly, the spark occurs abso¬ 
lutely at its highest point. Now, if you advanced the ignition 
and still ran your piston slowly, the spark would really occur 
before the piston had reached its highest point, and the result 
would be disaster. The crank shaft would be revolved violently 
in the opposite direction To that it should take. You would 
experience a back-fire, and if you were turning the starting- 
handle, might very well break your wrist as a contribution to 
the experiment. 

Why then, say you, advance the ignition at all ? 1 will 

tell you. Directly the number of crank-shaft revolutions 
increase, the piston as it were overtakes the spark, catches 
it up, and passes it if it be not advanced—in other words, 
the piston goes so fast that it reaches the top of its stroke 
and is half-way down again before any spark takes place. 
This means to say that all power is utterly lost. The gas 
expands before it is fired ; the engine becomes entirely 
inefficient. So, directly the speed of our engine becomes 
considerable, we so set the sparking mechanism that the 
spark would seem to take place while the piston is making 
its upward stroke and at some millimetres before it reaches 
its highest point. That it does not actually do so is due to 
the speed of the engine. The piston races the spark and 
gets to the top of its stroke just in time to have the mixture 
fired under full compression. If the beginner understands 
this he will have taken a great step forward. It is necessary 
for him to understand it, that he may become a good driver. 

What, then, of the other pipes we see, of the fan which 
revolves at such a high speed at the front of the engine, 
of the radiator with its almost countless little apertures—how 
do the.se affect the novice, and what must he know of them 
when he is about to take his first lesson in driving ? I would 
say in answer that he need not dwell long upon such points. 
Obviously the radiator is to hold water and the water is to 
cool the engine. We can well imagine the enormous heat 
generated in the cylinders by the repeated explosions which 
take place. If there were no water-cooling we should expect 
our cylinders to become quite hot, and they would not 


A CHAPTER OF A B C 


37 


disappoint us. So we have a system of cooling them by 
water; and remembering that if the temperature of water 
be raised considerably, the hotter element rises, we endeavour 
—a centrifugal pump helping us—to force a continuous 
current of cold water about our cylinders, and thus to keep 
them cool—the draught from the fan helping the process. 

With this the beginner is but little concerned. The care 
of the machinery must be in other hands for some time to 
come. He will merely desire to know the why and the 
wherefore as they affect him in the driver’s seat. And so 
we lead him at once to that great question of transmission— 
the transmission of the power from the main crank-shaft of 
his engine to the road wheels at the rear of his car. In this 
he must immediately interest himself. His very reputation 
and success as a driver will depend upon his understanding 
of clutch and gear-box and differential. If he do not master 
them at the outset, he may never master them. Let him, 
then, devote a good hour at least to the examination of these 
under a competent instructor. The time is well spent 
indeed. 

And firstly he will ask a question. Why, he will put it 
to us, should not the engine drive the road wheels direct ? 
What is the necessity for all this fuss about a clutch and a 
gear-box and that amazingly clever contrivance, the differen¬ 
tial ? Here we must not answer him impatiently, for he is 
unconsciously putting questions which concern even the 
greatest of the experts in these later days. 

Why have a clutch ? The clutch, we tell him, is an 
invention by which, while leaving the engine still running, 
we can keep the car absolutely at rest. To do this we divide 
that which otherwise would be a continuous steel shaft 
between engine and wheels, and we fit up, inside the fly¬ 
wheel of the engine, a second and smaller disc with a leather 
face—and we so arrange this, by the aid of a squared shaft 
and a strong spring, that the two wheels can run as one or 
be separated, and either, or both, kept moving. This, the 
simplest and most ancient form of leather cone clutch, enables 
us to drive our car without getting down and restarting the 


38 


THE AMATEUR MOTORIST 


engine every time we have to pull up for a hansom cab. 
The motor-car in its present shape would be impossible 
without a clutch. We could not drive down our own street, 
perhaps, without restarting our engine two or three times. 
It is the supreme control of our transmission, and to learn to 
use it properly is one of the greatest of arts. As you put 
your clutch in or withdraw it by the aid of the pedal at your 
feet, so you allow the car to move on or to slow down. This 
the beginner will immediately apprehend. 

But a second question of a like kind. Our novice will 
admit the clutch, perhaps, but his curiosity will not be wholly 
satisfied. Granted that such a thing is necessary—what, then, 
is the meaning of a gear-box, and why should all the troubles 
of gear-changing pester us ? This is a more difficult matter 
to answer, where the beginner is concerned. It is not easy 
to explain to him that a petrol engine runs best at a certain 
number of revolutions a minute—some at eight or nine 
hundred, some even at twelve or fifteen hundred revolutions. 
Slow this engine down, and it will give comparatively little 
power. Unlike a steam engine, which can begin at a very 
crawl and advance with precision to a high rate of speed, the 
petrol engine must be turning fast to give out its full power. 

So our friend will see that if he did not possess a gear-box, 
which permits him to vary the ratio of his gear as between 
engine and road wheels, he would be in a poor way indeed. 
His car would have little flexibility. To enable the engine 
to start and to put out the necessary power, it would have to 
be geared down so low that high speeds would be impossible 
unless he had cylinders of enormous dimensions. And if he 
did not gear it down—why, then it would stop immediately 
he tried to start driving his car. The power would not be 
great enough to set the wheels running. 

It comes to this briefly, that the crank-shaft of our engine 
is revolving much faster than the shaft which moves our 
driving wheels ; and to enable us to keep our engine running 
at its highest efficiency, we contrive with the aid of the gear¬ 
box a series of ratios. Perhaps for the highest speed our 
engine-shaft will turn three times while our road wheels turn 


A CHAPTER OF ABC 39 

once ; but for our very lowest speed, when we have to start 
the car from rest, our engine-shaft will turn twelve times while 
the road wheels are turning once, or, in other words, we create 
a leverage as of twelve to one in favour of the engine. This 
permits it to pick up a heavy load from rest, and to draw it 
away. Then we change the ratio by moving the lever at our 
side and put in a second, and so on, until we get upon the 
top speed, and are racing away merrily as fast as the local 
policeman will permit us. 

How are these changes contrived? What is inside that 



Half-perspective Drawing of the Arg^yll Gear-box. 


great block of a gear-box, which the beginner regards with 
such awe? Let him take the lid off and see. “A number 
of cog-wheels,” says he; “ some under others, or by their 
side, and two shafts carrying them.” Precisely ; a number of 
cog-wheels which can be so moved upon a squared shaft that 
different pairs of them may be engaged and the different 
ratios secured. The change-speed lever at your side permits 
you to do this. A fork, you see, catches hold of the squared 
and movable part of the shaft and meshes the particular pair 
of wheels you wish to engage. So the main drive, running 
upon one shaft into the gear-box, may run out of it upon 









40 THE AMATEUR MOTORIST 

a different shaft (though not always so) to your back wheels. 
When you interpose no intermediary wheels at all, then you 
will be upon the direct drive, giving you your highest speed, 
and causing the car to run with that beautiful smoothness 
characteristic of the modern machine. This, also, you must 
understand when taking your first lessons in driving. The 
correct use of the different gears is not always understood by 
men who have been at the wheel for years. As I have said, 
they depress “ that ’ere pedal ” and “ shuv in that there lever. 
You can hear them quite a long way off. 

We have now carried our drive from the crank-shaft of the 
engine to the gear-box ; but we must carry it on to the wheels 
at the rear. This may be done in one of two ways, speaking 
of broad systems. We can either drive our road wheels by 



A Simple Form of Universal Joint. 


side-chains, or we can drive them by what is known as the 
live axle. In the former case, our gear-box ends in a 
transverse shaft, which carries a chain-wheel at either end 
of it. These carry the chains which drive our road wheels, 
much as the chain of a bicycle drives its rear wheel. Should 
we prefer the live axle (and we are all coming to that), 
then we have a long propeller-shaft going straight to the 
differential box, and from that box the driving shafts are 
led to the road wheels. The illustration will make this 
system very clear to the beginner. He will have no diffi¬ 
culty in understanding that the long propeller-shaft must 
be jointed with what is known as a universal joint; because 
if this were not introduced, there would be a terrible twisting 
strain upon the rod every time the chassis of the car was 
deflected by an obstruction in the road or any unusual torsion. 













A CHAPTER OF ABC 


41 


There are many forms of universal joint, but all are there to 
permit the frame of the car to move as it pleases, and yet 
to keep the propeller-shaft unmoved. I know no simpler 
way of stating the case. The universal joint is an affair the 
beginner can understand at a single glance; it is another 
matter altogether when we come to the differential. I have 
known even observant men perplexed beyond all reason 
by this. 

What, then, of this wonderful differential? What is it for? 
Whence did it come? Is it indispensable to our car? The 
latter question first, if you please. Years ago when men 
were first experimenting with mechanical traction they dis¬ 
covered the necessity for this wonderful contrivance. I 
remember my own astonishment when first confronted with 
one of the old De Dion tricycles to which a differential was 
fitted. Why, you could turn either back wheel without 
turning the other, and yet they both drove the machine! 
A moment’s thought, and the necessity of a differential is 
established beyond all possibility of doubt. 

Consider what would happen if you employed a continuous 
back axle with a road wheel at either end of it. Directly 
you came to a corner, the outer wheel would wish to turn 
very fast, the inner wheel to stop. If the car did not skid 
violently, something would go. Your differential saves you 
from this. It permits one wheel to be turned and the other 
to remain stationary ; and it does this by running each road 
wheel upon its own axle, and joining the two together in the 
centre by the aid of star wheels working on differential wheels 
attached to those axle-ends. 

Take a pair of star wheels and mount them upon an axle; 
now fit this arrangement between the differential wheels, to 
each of which a road axle is fitted. If you pull upon the star 
axle, each of the differential wheels will be turned evenly and 
together. But suppose that you pull upon one road wheel and 
hold the other so that it cannot revolve! What will happen 
then ? I will tell you. The star wheels will begin to turn 
upon their axles, and to run round the differential wheel ; in 
other words, they will take up the unusual strain, and it will 


42 


THE AMATEUR MOTORIST 


not matter at all if one differential wheel turn a whole 
revolution while the other is absolutely stationary. In actual 
practice the star wheels do not move very much, except 
at a severe corner. But the modern motor-car would be 
impossible without them. 

There is another form of differential in which cog-wheels are 
used. The beginner need not trouble about it, as the principle 
is exactly the same. If he understands this, we shall have 



FRONT 

A Half-perspective Drawing of a Differential. 

brought him from the engine to the road wheels, and he will 
have a glimmering of the mechanism of a modern motor-car. 
I say a glimmering, for more than this is not to be obtained 
from a book. A week upon the road will teach him more 
than all the hand-manuals that were ever written. None the 
less, he must read if he is to learn quickly ; and he may well 
return to the books when the first lessons have been taken. 

One thing I would have him specially to study before 
sitting at the wheel of his car, and that is the brakes. He 




















A CHAPTER OF A B C 


43 


will perceive that there are three brakes to his car—one of 
them operated by the pedal, which his right foot covers, 
the others by the long lever outside that other lever which 
changes his speeds. Of these, the first is a brake fitted to 
the driving shaft, where it emerges from the gear-box. 
There is a steel drum, inside which two iron shoes can be 
opened like a pair of scissors to grip the steel and prevent 
the shaft revolving. The other brakes are fitted upon the 
rear axles ; they act in similar drums bolted to the wheel 
itself. 

It is exceedingly important to understand the power neces¬ 
sary to stop a motor-car when it is travelling at a high rate 
of speed. You are arresting a force to be measured upon 
occasion by many tons, and you are arresting it through that 
delicate mechanism of the differential and the engine. Does 
not this immediately say that we should use our brakes 
with care, or, if we would become really great drivers, that 
we should use them hardly at all? We need not think too 
much of this when we are taking our first lessons, but after¬ 
wards, when we have obtained something like control of our 
car, then we must remember it constantly. The careful 
driver is also the economical driver; and the man who does 
not use his brakes wickedly will be much in pocket when 
Christmas comes. 


CHAPTER VI 


REMINISCENCE AND A LESSON 
EW men forget their first lesson upon a motor-car. I 



r remember mine, as the novelists say, in my dreams. 
An old Panhard car was the vehicle chosen. The place was 
Bishop’s Avenue at Hampstead. This used to be rural 
enough. There were high hedges to receive you upon either 
side—and no ditch to suggest unkinder things. I had ridden 
a good many miles upon a car before I attempted to steer 
one, and thought the business easy enough. But that 
Hector was soon changed. And there was humiliation in 
the process. Of course I knew the attitude the driver should 
strike, and took it with pride. Head slightly thrown back, 
hand upon the change-speed lever, one foot upon the clutch 
pedal—the other for the pedal brake. In some cars built 
nowadays you want five feet—but makers then remembered 
that you had but two and dealt with you with a text-book 
of anatomy in their hands. So I was not perplexed by 
a multitude of instruments, and when the Man who Knew 
started up the engine and took his seat beside me I felt 
that Charles Jarrott must look to his laurels and Henri 
Fournier tremble for his reputation. 

“ Let in the clutch gently,” said the Man who Knew. I 
obeyed him with a condescending nod ; and imagining myself 
to be playing the first bars of “ Home, Sweet Home ” with the 
soft pedal down, I let in the clutch—and the engine stopped. 

“Hallo,” cried I, remembering the motor manual, “do you 
think the petrol’s turned on ? ” 

He answered through his teeth as he ground the handle 
of that unmusical organ—“Plenty of petrol, but too heavy 


44 


REMINISCENCE AND A LESSON 


45 

a foot. Now try again —and for the lord’s sake don’t think 
you’re treading on a scorpion.” 

I obeyed him with what knowledge I could command 
and the car flew up in the air as though a motor-’bus had 
smitten it from behind. This meant that I had let in the 
clutch with exemplary violence. We were going up the 
Avenue and the steering did not perplex me greatly. I kept 
a fairly straight course and tried to hear my philosopher while 
he told me to put her on the second. 

“ Take your clutch out—let the car run twenty yards—then 
slip in the second and let the clutch in with a firm foot. 
Good lord, you’ve stopped her again ! Didn’t you hear what 
I said ? ” 

I told him that I had understood him perfectly. I was 
to take the engine out and put the lever into the pedal— 
which exasperated him beyond all reason. 

“ Now look at that—it’s a pedal, ain’t it ? And look at 
this here. It’s a lever, ain’t it ? Well, press down the first 
and move the second on. Do you take me ? ” 

“If you will get in and the car can carry you,” said I — 
but he was grinding at the engine again and his remarks 
were inaudible. 

I got the “second” in that time with a clash as of sub¬ 
terranean wheels and a grinding of metals which caused the 
horses to shy. Now the car was going fairly fast—but she 
would do no better than the second upon the somewhat 
severe hill which leads up to the Spaniard’s, and we arrived 
at the crest with but few of those graceful geometrical figures 
a beginner can trace upon the highway. At the summit I 
managed to turn the car round and we began again. Rut, 
remember, it was down-hill. And now she began to travel 
at some twenty miles an hour, I suppose. Who shall wonder 
if the soft fence attracted me as though the Promised Land 
lay beyond ! I recollect a wild swerve, the car seeming to 
rock upon two wheels—then came a frantic effort upon the 
philosopher’s part, a sudden remembrance of the brake and 
its purposes, and a providential halt upon the very brink 
of the green. The situation had been saved, but scarcely 


46 


THE AMATEUR MOTORIST 


with honour. The Man who Knew laughed a little forcibly. 
I remembered that a sorrowing widow might not have taken 
my view of the circumstance. 

After all the moral was very simple. Why begin upon a 
hill? As well imitate the friend who started to motor 
between two ditches in Norfolk, and ended in the ditch upon 
the right-hand side. In the Johnsonian phrase, there is no 
necessity. A good broad road is the beginner’s field. Let it 
be a flat road, and if possible bordered by a sward of grass. 
Here he may pirouette as he pleases. The first half-hour 
will not be a terror to him under such circumstances. He will 
not be called upon to experience that sense of helplessness 
which attends the rush of a car down-hill. There should 
be few exciting moments. Progress will be swift if such a road 
be chosen ; while, should it not be chosen, our neophyte’s 
career as a motorist may be terminated upon the spot. 

So we will go out to a broad, straight stretch, and here we 
will place our novice in the driver’s seat and ascertain how 
far he understands the use and the meaning of the various 
levers he sees before him. Perhaps the very first thing to 
instil into his head is the way to stop the car. Impress this 
upon him again and again. Let him understand that he has 
but to press down both feet firmly upon the pedals to bring 
-the car to ja swift halt. There should be no accelerator 
pedat-tipona beginner’s car, and if there be, it should be 
temporarily disconnected. Ten to one he will use the 
accelerator instead of the foot-brake should an emergency 
arise. So—having nothing to do with accelerators—but 

concentrating upon the brakes, be sure that the facts of them 
are in his head, and then and then only go on to other 
matters. 

The instructor, I am presuming, will have charge of the 
engine at this time. He will start her up and show the 
novice exactly how her speed may be increased by opening 
the manette upon the steering-wheel—so admitting more gas 
and obtaining more power. From this the transition to the 
change-speed lever is easy. Our young friend must be told 
fifty times at least that he must not try to move the change- 


REMINISCENCE AND A LESSON 


47 


speed lever from one notch to the other until he has pressed 
down the clutch pedal. You cannot repeat the story too 
often ; and when you have repeated it, it is fifty to one that 
your pupil will forget all about it in the first five minutes. 

But we will suppose that he is an apt pupil, and that he 
learns quickly. Even so, it is well, before he begins to steer 
the car, to drive him four or five miles yourself, and show him 
exactly how the various changes are made and why they are 
made. You will also emphasise the fact that it is not 
necessary to turn the wheel over much to steer the car. 
Here is the secret of the novice’s failure at his first attempts. 
He hoicks the wheel round as though he were steering a 
ship. A violent swerve to one side of the road is countered 
by as violent a lurch to the other. The Man who Knows 
holds on with both hands and prays to Heaven for his 
innocent children. But the novice is rarely perturbed. Death 
is the last thing he fears. 

So we impress upon him at the outset the need for a light 
touch upon the steering-wheel. Indeed, this lightness of 
touch is the whole art of driving a motor-car, whether it be with 
the hands or the feet. Just watch the raging, ramping chauffeur 
as we know the specimen and dread him. Hear the crash 
of his gears—follow him as he pulls upon the steering-wheel 
and almost wrenches your tyres from your rims. This is 
smart driving as they speak of it in the kitchen. It is not 
the kind of driving you would teach your novice, and all your 
efforts must be concentrated in another direction. Gentle¬ 
ness, firmness, common-sense. These drive a motor-car as 
nothing else can do. 

When our beginner is at length installed in his seat, when 
he understands the purpose of the various levers, then we 
may start the engine up and take our seat beside him. 
Some teachers’ cars are fitted with a supplementary pedal 
upon the left-hand side of the dash—an excellent invention, 
and one that saves many accidents. If it be not present, 
the beginner should not be allowed to start until the road is 
^ mite clear, and when he starts his instructor should repeat 
A\e cycle of operations aloud. 


48 


THE AMATEUR MOTORIST 


Depress tJie clutch. 

Put on the foot-brake. 

Take off the side brake. 

Move the change-speed lever for'ward until the first speed 
is engaged. 

Open the throttle moderately. 

Raise the Pight foot gently and let the left be raised 
after it. 

These operations release the foot-brake and cause the clutch 
to engage. The car will now start smoothly, if the left foot 
be raised smoothly; with a jerk, or not at all, if the left foot 
be raised quickly. 

These movements must be practised over and over again 
until the beginner is thoroughly familiar with them. At the 
first attempt the car must not be run more than fifty yards 
before he is told to stop. A frequent use of the brake 
engenders confidence. And remember that we have to train 
an instinct for the right thing, to cultivate that instantaneous 
response to emergency in which the foot goes down as 
surely upon the brake as a man’s hand goes to his hat when 
the wind is high. We can only do this by practice. So let 
the beginner practise putting on the brake—and make him 
repeat the operation fifty times. When he is sure of it, 
then he may be taught to change from the first speed to 
the second. 

Close the throttle. 

Depress the clutch pedal. 

Move the lever firmly forward. 

Count three and then push the lever tmtil the catch engages 
with the second-speed notch. 

Open the throttle and let in the clutch as gently as you can. 

But do everything slowly—there is no need to hurry. 

It is simple enough to write, but oftentimes how difficult 
for the beginner to follow ! If he knows what is happening 
he will learn more readily. For now he recalls the A B C 
of it, and recollects that he is putting a different pair of 
wheels into mesh, and that one shaft is revolving quickly* 





REMINISCENCE AND A LESSON 


49 


while the other is turning very slowly. He must get them 
revolving at the same speed before he tries to engage the 
cogs, and the engine must not be forcing them. For this 
reason, he cuts the engine off by depressing the clutch pedal 
and waits an instant until the shaft has done spinning. It 
will be the reverse when he is coming down from the second 
gear to the first, but of that more anon. 

When he has learned to put the car upon the second 
speed, our interesting pupil may now be left to learn to 
master the steering, and to obtain that sense of command 
which is indispensable. He will soon get over his first wild 
pirouetting—for there is nothing so easy as to steer a modern 
car; and when he has done so, we may exercise him in 
nicer movements—such as steering over a particular rut or 
hollow in the road : a quick stop for an imaginary dog; the 
application of the side breaks ; the gentle manipulation of 
the clutch that everything may be done smoothly and with 
no conscious effort. Should he miss gears when changing, 
impress upon him the necessity of instantly returning to the 
original speed and of closing his throttle. He must be 
taught that violence under such circumstances will achieve 
nothing at all but the probable stripping of the gear wheels. 
In all such cases I have found it better to compel him to 
bring the car almost to a stand and then to start again 
with due deliberation. 

Men find changing down much harder, as a rule, than 
changing up. This is especially noticeable upon cars which 
have only three speeds. For my part, I think that no car 
is a perfect car which has not four speeds, and I would 
strongly advise the beginner to learn upon such a car if he 
can. In any case, he must be taught the secrets of “ coming 
down,” and taught them carefully. Let him remember now 
that it is the speed of the primary or engine shaft which has 
to be increased. Ergo, he need not throttle down his engine 
before making a change, and he should just slip his clutch— 
not depress it or hold it out. Here again some quickness 
of movement is necessary—not a frantic quickness, but one 
quick, steady movement which will instantly engage the 

4 


50 THE AMATEUR MOTORIST 

lower gear. Put in brief, the cycle of operations is as 
follows : 

Put the hand upon the change-speed lever. 

Press the catch if there be one. 

Slip the clutch quickly with the foot^ and as you do so 
draw the lever smartly back. 

This is a simple statement of the process, but both in 
changing up and in changing down much more is necessary. 
One of the most difficult things is to time the change pro¬ 
perly—that is to say, to know when to change to the engine’s 
advantage. This can only be learned by many months of 
practice. Some men never learn it, and for that reason 
remain poor drivers to the end of their days. But the 
beginner will quickly perceive certain broad facts, the first 
of which is that a change up must be made directly the car 
is running so fast that the engine races upon a particular 
speed—and that a change down must be made directly there 
is the least flagging. 

Nowadays a silly doctrine of “ every where upon top speed ” 
is preached by manufacturers and mad chauffeurs, and is 
doing infinite mischief to many cars. There are few engines 
made, unless they be of large horse-power, which will drive 
a reasonably geared car upon the top speed over all sorts 
and conditions of country ; and although modern practice 
is doing much to make the feat possible, it is still performed 
to the great detriment of our shafts and bearings, and often 
to their positive injury. The beginner, at any rate, will do 
well to steel himself against the heresy. Desire of advertise¬ 
ment has largely provoked it—a habit of pleasant lying in 
prospectuses has fostered its growth and helped the mischief. 
After all, the chief end is to keep our engine running at the 
point of its greatest efficiency, and this we shall rarely do 
if we attempt to run everywhere upon top speed. 

Another practice against which a protest cannot be too 
soon recorded is that of clutch slipping. If a car will not 
mount a hill upon a certain speed without slipping the clutch, 
that speed should instantly be changed. With the latest 


REMINISCENCE AND A LESSON 


51 


metal-to-metal clutches it is true that advocates of slipping 
have a better cause ; but my own experience goes to show 
that clutch slipping is a mistake at any time and under any 
circumstances ; and that the man who indulges overmuch in 
it is not and never will be a great driver. 

We shall be putting our novice upon his top speed by 
this time, and he will be gaining confidence very rapidly. 
At such a stage we should teach him as far as possible to 
drive at all slow speeds with one hand. In France they 
insist upon the beginner being thus schooled—teaching him 
to drive with either hand in turn, and so making him master 
of the wheel under any circumstances. It is obvious that 
wisdom lies herein, and that no driver is worthy of any 
consideration at all unless he be ambidextrous. I grant that 
at really high speeds a very firm grip upon the wheel is 
necessary, but for all manoeuvring one-hand control is 
necessary, and should be insisted upon at an early stage. 

It remains to speak of stopping the car. Here I think 
we have another maxim to be repeated as often as the 
instructor has patience to utter the words. I have seen 
even old drivers bring a car into a garage and stop the 
engine before putting the lever into the neutral. Let the 
beginner, then, be made to understand that if he does not put 
his lever into the neutral he may kill himself or take a 
life more valuable. Should he be obstinate, there are horrible 
tales to be related. Not six months ago, from the stable 
next door to my own, horrid cries were heard to proceed, 
and the sound of the splintering of wood. Presently both 
doors flew open violently, a car carrying a man upon its 
bonnet dashed out, and would have achieved a tragedy 
but for the intervention of another driver who stood near 
by. The man had started up his engine with his change- 
speed lever in the first speed. And the car had responded 
with a savage vindictiveness horrible to see, driving the 
fellow headlong through the doors—which were burst open— 
and so into the yard beyond. 

This story we tell our novice as we make him repeat the 
cycle of operations necessary to stop a car prettily. 


52 


THE AMATEUR MOTORIST 


Bring your lever to the neutral position. 

Put on the side brakes. 

Close the throttle. 

Switch off the ignition. 

Make him do this at least fifty times. If it does not 
become a habit from the start, disaster sooner or later is 
as certain as the evening of the day which first made of 
him a motorist. 


CHAPTER VII 


DRIVING AS A FINE ART 



HERE is art historic chestnut telling of two anti- 


X motoring justices in Ireland who were given a lift 
in a powerful car at the time of the Gordon-Bennett race. 
Fierce opponents of the new locomotion, they were, as Irish¬ 
men naturally would be, quickly conquered by it; and as the 
speed of the car increased, and the law began to be derided, 
their delight knew no bounds. 

Presently, however, a prudent driver slowed up because he 
perceived a sluggish pedestrian upon the road before him. 

“ For what are you stopping ? ” asked one of the justices. 

The driver replied that he was stopping because the man 
ahead did not hear them. 

“ Don’t you see Pat yonder ? ” he said. 

To whom the two justices replied as with one voice—“ To 
hell with Pat.” 

Here you have the spirit which dictates many a rash and 
foolish performance upon the high-road. I was talking to 
the managing director of a famous company the other day, 
and he offered me a lift in his car. 

“ My driver,” said he, “ is one of the cleverest in traffic 
I have ever come across.” 

This was good news, and I entered the car with confidence. 
But lo and behold, we had not gone a mile before the driver 
in question had shaved a motor-bus by an inch, cut in between 
a big car and a van, and generally convinced me that he was 
destined for an early if honourable grave. Such men I have 
met before, and have also heard them praised ; but that 
eulogy should come from the manager of a great business, 
one with long experience, astonished me not a little. 


53 


54 


THE AMATEUR MOTORIST 


Now, this sort of thing is a thousand miles removed from 
the fine art of driving. The really great driver never causes 
his passengers to clutch the cushions with frenzied fingers, 
never makes their hearts beat faster, and never permits them 
to remember the dangers of the pursuit. Nothing has im¬ 
pressed me so much in a long experience of motoring as this 
very fact that the really great driver is the most prudent 
person you will find upon the road. Men such as Henri 
Fournier, Lancia, Jenatzy, and, above all, Charles Jarrott, 
take no risks whatever unless they be racing. I have had 
the privilege of sitting by Mr. Jarrott’s side, and I can bear 
emphatic witness to the really amazing caution he displays 
at all times. The wild chauffeur both astonishes and dismays 
him. “ I don’t know how the fellows do it,” he once said 
to me ; “ I tell them that they must be cleverer drivers than 
I am.” The real truth is, of course, that such dare-devils 
have not a hundredth part of Mr. Jarrott’s skill. They 
are mere road hogs, doing “ stunts ” for the benefit of admiring 
housemaids. 

There are two phases of driving to be considered, and the 
same man is not always successful at both. I have known 
men, who are all nerve and skill in traffic, absolutely hopeless 
when out in the open country. It is not that they do not 
possess the necessary nerve. For some inexplicable reason, 
they never acquire the habit of fine driving in the country ; 
are inept in coaxing their engine to do its best, unskilful upon 
hills, and clumsy when negotiating other vehicles. On the 
other hand, many a fine driver, who has learned all his skill 
in the country, is never at home in London—the traffic 
appals him ; he is afraid even of safe openings ; he allows 
his engine to race and boil. These men will remain, it may 
be, incurable. But the beginner must strive to acquit himself 
well under all circumstances, and he must make the fine art 
of driving a study from the beginning. 

Let us consider town driving first. And here a word 
of protest. It is simply a mechanical outrage to drive high- 
powered cars constantly in London, or any big city. You 
cannot keep this great power under control and escape 



Mr. S. F. Edge starts his Career as a Racing Motorist on'a Motor-tricycle 



a 



r* 

-¥ 


* 







t 

k 




DRIVING AS A FINE ART 


55 


certain consequences. Many of these engines overheat upon 
the smallest provocation. Other drivers tell you of red-hot 
clutches, and water boiling, and countless troubles attending 
a shopping excursion. If a man must have a big car for 
town use, then, opponent of the six-cylinder car that I am, 
I would advise him to buy a six-cylinder, and to go to 
S. F. Edge or to Rolls-Royce for it. These are possible and 
delightful vehicles in town, but big four-cylindered engines are 
simply a nuisance under such circumstances, and to be tabooed. 

Assuming, then, that our car is a limousine, say, of twenty 
horse-power, or an open phaeton of fifteen horse-power, we 
shall be careful (if it is to be used largely in London) to have 
it geared low, and to be able to drive it for the most part 
upon top speed. The smooth pavements of our great cities 
make this possible without any undue strain upon the engine, 
and it certainly is a great comfort to be able to run a car 
at ten miles an hour and to keep it upon top speed. But 
it must also accelerate quickly, and I would name this a 
quality that every purchaser should insist upon when buying 
a car for town use. If the driver is to take openings with 
confidence, if he is always to remain master of the situation, 
then he must have an engine which gathers speed quickly. 
Otherwise he is always at a disadvantage—the best driver is 
lost under such circumstances. 

But having such a machine at his command, what are the 
chief points about driving in town that permit us to speak of 
a fine art ? They are in brief these : 

1. So to drive his car as he would drive any fast carriage, 
taking proper but not undue advantages of its greater speed 
and controlability. 

2. To use the horn as little as possible, and never in an 
irritating manner. 

3. To drive as quietly as may be. 

4. To take no risks whatever ; never to force an opening or 
to deal with other traffic aggressively. 

5. To cultivate that power of quick* observation which has 
eyes for what is going on upon the pavement as well as upon 
the high road. 


56 


THE AMATEUR MOTORIST 


6. To keep at a sufficient distance from other traffic, and 
never to find himself impounded. 

7. To nurse his engine and not permit it to race. 

8. To drive with the rarest application of the brakes. 

Let us deal with these points one by one. 

And first, the fact that a motor-car is a carriage possessing 
advantages over any carriage drawn by horses, but not such 
advantages as may be abused. 

This, I fear, is a truth but ill appreciated. Men who own 
cars are disappointed when these cars do not perform miracles 
in London. I know some drivers who appear to think that 
all horse-drawn traffic should fly up in the air at their 
approach, that pedestrians should run races to oblige them, 
and that the high road generally should be cleared upon their 
advent. 

Here is a foolish and ungentlemanly heresy. We have no 
rights at all which are not shared by other road users. At 
present we are but tolerated, and our very future depends upon 
our well-doing. Let a driver in London remember that he 
must do as the other traffic does until that traffic permits him 
to do otherwise. Possessing superior speed, he may pass cabs 
and carriages when it is safe to pass them, and not otherwise. 
The habit of rushing in at a block, of causing horses to throw 
up their heads, pedestrians to reel back upon the pavements, 
and cabmen “ to tell Heaven about it ” is a detestable habit, 
and one responsible for half the abuse showered up5n the 
motor-car. At the end of the day ten minutes n!ay be 
gained by such conduct; but years of prejudice are left 
behind. 

And this leads me to my second point. The horn should 
never be used except to warn a pedestrian who is obviously 
unaware of the car’s approach, or the driver of another vehicle 
who may be in the same position. If you see a man about 
to cross the road and he does not see you, then you must blow 
your horn. The same thing holds good when you are passing 
an omnibus which may draw out or a cab which may turn 
round. But it is astonishing how rarely a good traffic driver 
has need to blow his horn, and what gentle use he makes of it. 


DRIVING AS A FINE ART 


57 


On the other side, you have the persistent horn-blower, who, 
being held up at a traffic block, will toot persistently as 
though drivers of vans and omnibuses would lift those 
vehicles on to the neighbouring roofs to oblige him. This 
man is another who does us much mischief. May time and 
common sense ultimately deliver us from him! 

Our third point speaks of driving as quietly as may be. 
It is astonishing how much noise some wild chauffeurs can 
make. Every movement of the car is attended by a fierce 
clash of gears, a racing of the engine, a wild pirouetting which 
is altogether unnecessary. A good town driver learns to do 
all things in comparative silence. If he blows his horn, it is 
one sharp blast ; you cannot hear him change his gears ; his 
engine never races. But these men are very rare, and are 
chiefly found in the ranks of the amateurs. 

Our fourth point is perhaps the most important of all. 
Nothing is more appalling than to drive with a man who 
delights in showing you how clever he is. In reality he 
is not clever at all, but merely a fool. I have said that a 
great driver never risks anything. If he has the slightest 
doubt about an opening, he prefers to miss it. And m^d 
you, he so handles a car that he can take his openings far 
more readily that the incompetent dasher. Watch how he 
approaches a vehicle ahead. He does not come up straight 
behind it, but wherever possible to the right, so that should an 
opening offer, he can come through slightly to the left and 
lose no time about the business. This is a maxim which 
applies as well to driving in the country as in London. It is 
quite obvious when pointed out—though it is astonishing how 
many drivers remain ignorant of it. 

I say that we should never force an opening. Let us 
imagine ourselves driving a pair of horses, and a fellow with a 
huge car suddenly cutting in before us, causing our pair to shy 
and perhaps actually bruising one of them. We should say 
that the fellow who did this was a ruffian and the language 
would not be too strong. Sometimes, alas! the passengers in 
the car applaud this kind of thing and cannot have too much 
of it. I saw a leather-coated hooligan driving a couple of 


58 


THE AMATEUR MOTORIST 


women the other day, and he cut in before an omnibus just 
in the way I have mentioned. The women expressed their 
pleasure by broad grins which did not escape old Ike’s 
observation ; and when at a block some two hundred yards 
further on the omnibus overtook the car, then the moment of 
utterance came. “ Where did you pick ’em up ? ” the omnibus 
man asked the leather-coated individual jovially, as he 
indicated the ladies with a jerk of his whip. Nor was any 
answer vouchsafed but a black and stony stare. 

The man who learns to pass other vehicles properly, not 
forgetting the body of the car behind him and the objection 
a horse may be supposed to entertain to a Cape-cart hood 
thrust suddenly into his mouth, will also be the man to 
cultivate quick powers of observation where the pedestrian is 
concerned. I am sure that many accidents are caused by the 
driver of dull perception. This man does not think as he 
drives. He never pauses to ask himself what that old 
gentleman yonder is going to do—the patriarch upon the 
pavement, who is meditating crossing. He does not tell 
himself that this old man may be very deaf and quite unable 
to hear his horn. So, again, with children, he is never 
prepared for their swift dash across the streets, their sudden 
determinations, their entire preoccupations. A child playing 
a game has eyes for nothing else. You may hoot until the 
rafters ring, he will not hear you. And so it behoves the 
careful driver to protect such children from themselves ; to 
anticipate their movements ; to say that they are sure to do 
the wrong thing. When he approaches a group of children 
playing he will have the car under such control that he could 
stop it in a yard if need be. And the same rule must apply 
when passing traffic whose direction is doubtful. The world 
is not perpetually on the look-out for motor-cars to pass, and 
never will arrive at that blissful state. Let us remember the 
fact constantly wherever we are driving. 

My sixth stipulation concerns the driver’s own comfort 
rather than that of other people. How often do you see men 
driving in town and running right up to the back of another 
vehicle, so that if by any chance the horse of that vehicle 


DRIVING AS A FINE ART 


59 


takes a step backwards, the car’s lamps are smashed or the 
radiator cracked ! It is just as easy to stop a couple of yards 
from the back of a carriage as a couple of inches. Many 
a paid driver prefers the latter distance, leaving his master 
to pay for the unobservant partiality. And then, what a 
figure a man cuts who gets tied up in a line of vehicles, so 
close to the one in front that he cannot possibly get clear 
without reversing, while to reverse may be impossible by 
reason of the press behind ! It would all have been simple 
enough had the driver left himself a way of escape in front. 
He merely did not think of it, that is all; and so we have the 
gesticulating and swearing and commotion, the wild shouts of 
perspiring policemen and the foolish grins of the people in 
the tonneau. Beware of this when driving in London—a 
moment’s thought about it will save you many an unpleasant 
five minutes. 

My seventh point concerns both town and country. A 
racing engine is a deplorable thing to hear. Some men seem 
to take a delight in racing their engines wherever possible. 
Directly they have started up, they advance the ignition to 
the full—and although they are about to start the car upon 
the first speed they are doing twelve hundred revolutions a 
minute where seven hundred would serve them perfectly. 
So, also, they must accelerate every time they declutch, even 
for an instant, regardless of the smooth pavement or the easy 
conditions under which the car may be running. The good 
driver, on the other hand, makes it his business to accelerate 
his engine in exact response to the needs of the car. He 
starts away without any whirr at all; he knows exactly the 
speed which will take up the drive under any particular 
circumstances, and his whole handling of the machine is 
prudent and workmanlike. Let the beginner determine to 
imitate him. Practice will soon teach him, if his mind be set 
upon proficiency. 

I will conclude these brief hints about town driving with 
a necessary word upon the use of the brakes. A first-rate 
driver uses his brakes very rarely. The slap-dash fellow 
employs them perpetually, and asks you to admire the 


6o 


THE AMATEUR MOTORIST 


performance. At every corner there is a violent declutching 
and a foot-brake banged on. He races to the door of your 
house and slithers the last ten yards lest you should save any 
money on tyres this year. Of the side brakes he rarely 
thinks unless the car be at a standstill. This man does not 
even know that the correct way to slow a car down is to 
close the throttle and leave the clutch in. Should you tell 
Tiim so, he would laugh at you ; for vanity is at the back of it, 
and upon vanity, ignorance. The good driver, however, will 
slow his car nine times out of ten simply by closing the 
throttle and letting her run. He does not wait until he comes 
to a corner to put the precept into practice, but has closed 
his throttle a hundred yards away. So at cross-roads he 
runs across them with throttle closed. Perhaps his finer 
instinct tells him more surely where he will have to stop. 
The ruffian of the garage seems to regard every check 
somewhat in the nature of a surprise. Not so the master 
of the car, who has an instinct for anticipation, who seems 
to take in everything at a glance, knows where the traffic 
will check him and what are the dangers of any particular 
crossing. This is the fellow for the novice to imitate. He 
will learn fine driving by such a man’s side—and he should 
make it his ambition at the outset to obtain such advantages 
and to profit by them. 

In one of Dan Leno s songs he used to tell us how, when 
hunting, his liberal spirit permitted the horse to take him 
through lonely gardens and the greenhouses thereof. So, 
there are men who do not drive motor-cars—they permit the 
car to take them, sometimes, as we know, through brick 
walls and at other times into harbouring ditches. These 
men owe their accidents to the fact that they never were 
drivers at all in the proper sense of the word. Our novice, 
preferring the high-road and a warm bed o’ nights, will not 
cease to tell himself that “ prudence ” is the first and last 
word in the consideration of this great question. 

For it is prudence that saves our necks, and a lack of 
prudence that gives so many welcome opportunities to the 
news-editors of the halfpenny papers. 





c 

A 


Mr. D. M. Weigel in his Grand Prix_Racer. 





CHAPTER VIII 


THE SUBJECT CONTINUED 

M r. JARROTT has described racing upon the high¬ 
road as a sport for kings. If this be so—and few 
will contest the assertion—then assuredly is fine driving upon 
the high-road the king of sports for the ordinary mortal. I am 
not hereby claiming any kinship between the two diversions. 
There is all the difference in the world between driving a 
racing car upon a public road and driving a touring car. 
None the less it is in the country that our skilled driver will 
instantly assert his superiority ; in the country that we shall 
most justly appraise his virtues. 

The Motorist of To-day rightly claims a greater freedom 
when he has left the towns behind him. Preaching the 
gospel of the public safety, he resents restrictions which 
do not concern the public safety ; and in the end the justice 
of his cause must prevail. 

If anything w'ill help it, the new favour in which moderate 
rates of speed are held should be named before other agencies. 
We are all tired of being hurled along at forty or fifty miles 
an hour—even if the place be a desolate moorland and the 
road be as solitary as the Great Sahara. We have named 
thirty miles an hour for the comfortable speed, and at thirty 
miles an hour the average man delights to travel. As the 
law stands this brings him frequently to the police-courts. 
But when the British public (which in the end is invariably 
a sane public) has learned a little more about the motor-car, 
then the country justice, the half-pay colonel, the hundred- 
years-ago parson, and the retired farmer who has hay to 
sell will be dethroned. We shall get something like justice, 
and Parliament will assist u.s. 

6i 


62 


THE AMATEUR MOTORIST 


Here is another story. My business at the moment 
concerns fine driving in the country, the laws of it, the 
secret of it, the beauty of it. Just as prudence was the last 
word of my previous exhortation, so would I make it the 
first of this. Your great driver in the country is also a 
prudent driver. But, he is very much more than that; he 
is a man of nerve afid judgment and of self-restraint. His 
powers of perception are trained above the ordinary—he is 
something of an engineer and something of a mechanic. 
Years of practice have made him what he is. He has the 
road habit to the point of instinct. There is hardly a 
situation upon the high road with which he is not familiar. 
Carriage or cart, waggon or van, traction engine or lorry— 
our great driver knows exactly what will be done with each 
and when it will be done. His long journeyings abroad have 
taught him this—the pilgrim’s way has brought him at length 
to the shrine of knowledge. 

I have always found that old cyclists make the best 
country drivers, and undoubtedly it is a great help to have 
done some cycling before one begins to motor. Old coach¬ 
men are not bad pupils, but apt to lack nerve at higher 
speeds—but I would always prefer a coachman to a man 
who has not been upon the road before, and where possible 
a married coachman of decent middle age. These will not 
be tempted to take your parlour-maid out upon saints’ days 
and holidays. They will invite no risks. Some of them 
continue to treat a motor as a horse until the end of their 
days. When they pass a sheet of white paper in the road, 
they hold the steering wheel with a sure hand lest “ the 
thing” should shy. I have often heard them cry “whoa” 
to a car that was running fast down-hill. 

Let us, however, assume for the moment that we are 
addressing comparatively inexperienced men and trying to 
tell them what are the secrets of driving safely upon the 
high-road. For my part I should speak first of cross-roads, 
and should speak unhesitatingly. If you analyse motor 
accidents in the open country, you will find that thirty per 
cent, of them happen at cross-roads, another thirty, perhaps. 


THE SUBJECT CONTINUE^ 63 

when passing other vehicles—while the remainder are 
at corners and upon hills. But of all dangers that of 
the cross-roads is the most vital and demands our closest 
attention. 

Just consider the case of the wild chauffeur who disdains 
to blow his horn at a cross-road and would scorn to declutch. 
Well, that man is simply backing his luck. He is as much 
a gambler in human life as the gentlemen of Monte Carlo 
are gamblers in louis dor or five-franc pieces. Should 
another vehicle emerge when he is ten or twenty yards from 
the crossing, he will most certainly crash into it, his car 
possibly will be overturned and its occupants killed. But 
with these chances he refuses to reckon. There will be 
neither cart nor waggon emerging, says he. He has passed 
that road a hundred times in safety—why not this time ? 
And so he may go on, perhaps for years, perhaps to the 
end of his career if luck be with him. Should, however, he 
be an unlucky man, he may meet the cart at the second 
attempt and kill his owner before that worthy fellow has 
even paid for the car which carries him. 

This is something for every driver and every owner to 
keep constantly in his mind. Those who dash by cross¬ 
roads are deliberately risking their necks every time they 
do so. They may cross a thousand times safely; they may 
not cross three times. And when such accidents happen, 
they are nearly always serious. A famous one upon the 
Coventry road in the spring of this year, when a small car 
emerging from a lane was charged by a larger car upon 
the main road, caused the larger vehicle to turn three com¬ 
plete somersaults before it came to rest. It went over and 
over like an acrobat, dashed its occupants violently to the 
ground, maiming and disfiguring them. This does not .seem 
to have been a case of rashness, but of a hidden cross-road— 
a peril we have all to face. But the moral of it is none the 
less useful. 

Let us never forget that when a heavy-motor car is 
travelling at a speed of thirty miles an hour, it cannot 
conveniently be stopped under fifty yards. I know that 


64 


THE AMATEUR MOTORIST 


gentlemen doing “stunts ” have stopped show-cars in ridiculous 
distances; but reflect upon the swiftness of the danger, the 
instantaneous response the driver has to make—the seconds 
that must intervene before his hand or foot goes to the 
brakes at all. Here you find the secret of many catastrophes 
otherwise inexplicable. The driver’s nerve did not respond 
to the emergency. He simply sat spell-bound—and, as it 
was proved in one considerable accident, he made no attempt 
to apply his brakes at all. 

My own rule at cross-roads is to close the throttle at 
least a hundred yards from them—that is, if I am travelling 
at any considerable speed. I do not declutch, but just 
permit the car to roll up to the crossing, passing it, perhaps, 
at a speed of twenty miles an hour or less. If you are 
prepared for emergency, you can stop a car running at twenty 
miles an hour in its own length. This means to say that 
a vehicle must emerge when you are some three or four 
lengths from the crossing ; otherwise the driver will hear 
you and check sufficiently for you to slip past. Should he 
not do so, you can stop absolutely dead—or at the very 
worst you can so check your speed that a trifling bump will 
be the only result of indiscretion. In this respect I have 
found high-powered cars to be much safer than those of a 
lower power. They enable you to accelerate and run out of 
danger; and a sixty-horse car will often escape an accident 
which would have been unavoidable in a “ twenty.” 

Some drivers deceive themselves by a pretence of checking 
at cross-roads. They declutch momentarily, and so swiftly 
that only a trained ear can detect the act. This takes place, 
perhaps, twenty yards from the crossing ; but they let the 
clutch in again instantly, and the speed of their car is not 
diminished two miles an hour. This is a habit to which wild 
chauffeurs are partial. They would have you think that 
they are driving carefully, while, in truth, their indiscretions 
are blazing. These men know very well that they are 
backing their luck. They prefer to back it and to risk 
their employer’s neck rather than be ten minutes longer upon 
the journey. 


THE SUBJECT CONTINUED 


65 


A driver cursed by this habit should be instantly dis¬ 
missed. But the amateur himself must take care that he 
does not drop into it. I have known men, who began 
prudently enough, develop into perfect dare-devils when a 
few years had passed. This means to say that careless habits 
had crept upon them and that luck encouraged them. They 
were men who had no narrow shaves ; they had never taken 
a risky opening and discovered a tram-car at the other end 
of it ; no waggon had ever rolled down a hill and appeared 
suddenly on the high-road before them ; they have not met 
the driver who pulled the wrong rein, or the waggoner asleep. 
And so their misplaced confidence becomes greater every 
day. In the end their rashness astounds you—you can but 
pray for them. 

The same maxims, which permit us to take the cross¬ 
roads safely, apply, almost without qualification, to the 
taking of corners. Some years ago, when the first consider¬ 
able book upon the motor-car appeared, the authors per¬ 
petrated an astounding heresy, the mischief of which has 
been beyond all imagination irreparable. They persuaded a 
clever artist to draw a picture in which a motorist in a big 
car was shown to be taking a sharp corner on the wrong 
side of the road. How many thousand ignorant people 
have learnt to take corners on the wrong side of the road 
since that day, and through the agency of that drawing, I 
should be sorry to say. 

It is all very well for the authors to tell us, in a later 
edition, that a corner should only be taken on the wrong 
side when a clear view of the road is to be had. This 
comes too late, and cannot minimise that deplorable habit 
into which so many of our drivers have fallen. Almost every 
week I drive with some man or other who edges to the 
wrong side of the road every time he approaches a corner. 
Should he meet another vehicle, a violent swerve to his own 
side is the result. Good luck alone saves the neck of such a 
man. One day he will meet a car driven as fast as his own, 
and also upon the wrong side of the road—and the result 
will be a flaring headline in the evening papers and the 

5 


66 THE AMATEUR MOTORIST 

shrieking of old washerwomen in the correspondence columns 
of the dailies. 

We must remember that our motives in taking a corner 
steadily are not purely philanthropic. The side strain upon 
the spokes of our wheel is considerable; the wear upon our 
tyres disastrous. Caution not only is an act of charity 
toward insurance companies, but toward ourselves. If we 
would save our tyre bills, let us boycott high speeds upon 
corners, and we have already done much to arrive at a 
wise economy. But more than this, we are, as it were, 
prudently insuring against other accidents than those of 
collision. How many a car has been wrecked because a 
cover burst upon a corner ! It would never have burst had 
the driver been travelling at a reasonable speed ; but the 
side strain upon it was too great, and the result has been 
told in the coroner’s court. 

This is a debatable point, I know. Experts prate loudly 
of the trifling swerve which will attend a burst cover even at 
high speed. But get these men into a corner and they will 
admit that their logic is better for the smoking-room than 
the high-road, and that, after all, other stories may have 
been told. For my part, I do not believe that even the 
cleverest driver, rounding a curve at high speed, could always 
save his car under a given set of circumstances. The swerve 
which is trifling upon the high-road becomes considerable 
upon the corner ; it may be sufficient, even with a master at 
the wheel, to throw the car against the bank or to leave it in 
the ditch. No motorist of real experience will pretend that 
this is not so. The oldest of us understands the penalties of 
rashness only too well. 

It behoves us, then, to take corners as prudently as we 
take cross-roads. If we cannot see round the corner the 
car should always be well in hand ; and that it may be well 
in hand we must close the throttle some fifty yards at least 
before we run up to it. A rigid adherence to our own side 
of the road is the first guarantee of safety. A blast upon 
the horn has saved many a smash. And to these rules 
there are few exceptions. Granted that over a mainland 


THE SUBJECT CONTINUED 


67 


or the roads of France a fine driver will take even consider¬ 
able bends with scarcely any slacking of speed at all, his 
skill must not excite the novice to emulation. It is never 
an easy thing to steer a big car round a corner at anything 
approaching a high rate of speed. Let the neophyte, who 
would sleep without plaster upon his hose, remember this 
when temptation comes to him. 

All the world understands, I suppose, that in descending 
hills the dangers of corners are magnified twenty-fold. It 
was the corner upon Sun Rising Hill which brought about 
that deplorable disaster to a party of Americans in the 
summer of 1907. The wheel of the car would not stand 
the twofold strain of the application of the brake and the 
swing of the road. The spokes were shattered ; the carriage 
overturned. 

Up-hill, on the other hand, a car may often be kept going 
at a corner when it would be rash to the point of madness 
to maintain the same pace upon the level. You can stop 
a car up-hill so quickly. The control of it is always in 
your hands. And unless you be a Lancia upon a Fiat, you 
will have little to fear from corners when climbing. 


CHAPTER IX 

THE MAN AND THE ENGINE 

T O become a really fine driver, a man must understand 
not only how to handle his car at all speeds, but also 
how to get the best out of his engine. This means to say 
that he must be something of an engineer and not above 
passing his “ Little Go” as a mechanic. 

There are many who pretend that a car can be driven with 
hardly any attention at all save that of oiling and cleaning 
it. I venture to describe the assertion as an absurdity of the 
grossest kind. None but an engineer can keep a motor 
constantly running at the point of its greatest efficiency ; 
none but one with an engineer’s instincts and a mechanic’s 
practical knowledge can drive a car to the best advantage. 

Let me say frankly that this need not frighten any 
would-be amateur. The amount of knowledge required is 
not considerable ; a few months’ experience upon the road 
will soon endow even the dullest with some glimmering of 
necessary truths. Should our amateur begin with a small 
car (and he would be foolish to begin with any other unless 
he intends to take a trained driver into his service), he may 
muddle along very well with such a reliable little machine, 
say, as the Swift or the De Dion, until proficiency be attained. 
There may be occasions when he will have to walk where 
others would have ridden. On the other hand, he may be as 
lucky as a young friend of mine who bought a Beaufort car, 
not knowing one end of the engine from the other, and drove 
it for ten months without a single involuntary stop. 

I think it an over-rash proceeding for any man, however 
gifted, to dispense with some trained assistance until he has 
had his car for three or four months. He should certainly 
take an expert out with him regularly at the beginning, and 

68 


THE MAN AND THE ENGINE 


69 


not dispense with skilled aid until he is really master of the 
machine. Let there be a man at his side who can tell him 
instantly what is the matter. He himself must learn to 
diagnose each trouble as it arises, to ascertain both the cause 
and the remedy, and to assure himself that he could deal 
with such a difficulty should it overtake him when alone on 
the car. Line by line will the book of his experience thus be 
written. But he will remember as he would never remember 
were he merely to read and upon reading to rely. 

It is in the complete knowledge of the engine ; of its every 
phase ; of what it can do and what it is not doing, that we see 
the fine driver at his best. The car has not gone five miles 
before such a man will tell you whether things are well or ill 
with it. “ The petrol is not feeding,” he will say, or “ I am 
getting too much petrol.” He detects a want of synchronisa¬ 
tion in the cylinders immediately, and seems to know by 
instinct which cylinder is missing or mistimed. He knows 
instantly if the machine be running hot, he detects a faulty 
clutch before the man at his side is aware that there is 
anything the matter at all. These defects he may cause his 
chauffeur to remedy. But that worthy can never fool him. 
He knows when all is not well with the car, and is quick to 
insist that it shall be well. 

Let me endeavour to state some facts I have noticed when 
sitting by the driver’s side and watching some of our greatest 
experts handle some of the most famous cars. 

In the first place I have observed that they permit the 
engine to warm steadily to its work. They do not try to 
force the car immediately to its highest speed, but, quietly 
nursing it, they first ascertain that all is well, and then only 
do they “ open her out.” This restraint is emphasised when 
first starting off. A good driver listens for some minutes 
to the beat of his pistons before taking his seat. He does 
not race his engine when standing still ; but permitting it 
just to “purr,” he opens the throttle notch by notch until 
there is speed enough to take up the drive, and not until then 
does he let in his clutch. 

The second point I have noticed is that of the experi- 


70 


THE AMATEUR MOTORIST 


mental stage. There are no two days, perhaps not two 
hours together, when the engine does not require a changed 
position of the levers to give the best results. Here you will 
be wanting plenty of gas and a slightly retarded ignition ; 
there little gas and ignition greatly advanced. If there be 
an extra air inlet to your carburettor, it must be manipulated 
every morning until the explosions attain their maximum 
efficiency. This the trained ear can detect at once, but the 
training requisite will not come until our novice has been a 
thousand miles upon his car. 

The second characteristic of the fine driver is his knowledge 
when to change speed. Disregarding all the advertising talk 
of cars which will go “ everywhere upon top speed,” our 
expert regards this as “ trade rubbish,” and will hear none 
of it. Let the engine flag but a suspicion and he is down 
a speed instantly. He knows the meaning of the words 
“ stress and strain.” Should he be checked considerably in 
traffic and be upon his top gear at the time, then, even though 
the road be level, he drops a speed without hesitation. Why 
ask the engine to wrestle unnecessarily with its burden ? The 
owner of a car does not care twopence for the maker’s high 
faintin’. He wishes his engine to last, and treats it as it 
should be treated. 

A good driver approaching a considerable hill will not 
keep upon a speed which he knows will carry him but a few 
yards up that hill. And yet how often do you see this kind 
of thing done! Men driving upon the “ fourth ” know 
perfectly well that the “fourth” must be almost instantly 
changed to the “third.” Is it not far better, then, to put 
the car upon the “ third ” at the bottom of the hill and thus 
to let the engine do its best from the beginning ? 

So, also, in descending the hill. No man who is entitled 
to be called skilled would drive a powerful car down-hill 
with the throttle open. Far from it, the opportunities for 
cooling the engine are all too valuable—and so your master 
instantly switches off his ignition and lets the car roll dovv’n 
against compression. If he have one of the modern devices 
by which cold air can be sucked into the cylinders, so much 






fSi ^ 



The 2o-h.p. Rover Chassis. 



Photo hy Campbell-Gray. 


The Six-cylinder Mercedes Chassis. 




















THE MAN AND THE ENGINE 


71 


the better. His engine will be running sweetly enough when 
he “ switches on ” again, and the rewards of his prudence will 
be many. 

A good driver uses his brakes alternately upon long hills. 
He knows that even the latest brakes which are not water- 
cooled may overheat. So, should the descent be vicious, he 
may even put the car upon its first speed and descend the 
hill with occasional touches, first of the side brakes, then of 
the foot-brake. Should it be necessary to come to a dead 
halt, he will have power enough in reserve. 

This is to say that a good driver takes nothing for granted. 
Should he have any doubts about anything at all, an instant 
investigation is demanded. The chauffeur thinks the 
accumulators were charged. The wise master insists upon 
the production of a voltmeter there and then. The man 
is quite sure that the metal-to-metal clutch was washed out 
last week. The experienced driver, convinced that the 
clutch is slipping, will have it washed out again and take no 
chances. The man affects an injured air when it is hinted to 
him that there may be both grit and water in the carburettor. 
Off comes the lid in the old driver’s presence, and keen is 
the eye which searches for the golden but unwelcome grain. 

It is amazing how these paid drivers will face a lie out 
if to admit it brings work upon them. I remember once 
being assured by a driver of my own, upon his solemn word 
of honour as a man and a father of a family, that the new 
shoes fitted to my pedal brake were not touching the drum 
when the pedal was up. I took this solemn word thus 
solemnly delivered, and before we made Barnet the brake 
had fired. An older hand would have been down under the 
car ascertaining the truth for himself; I preferred a touching 
confidence and a railway train. 

It is vigilance indeed that saves the successful motorist, 
and with vigilance, knowledge. I can but repeat that shrewd 
observation is the best master, and that every novice should 
submit to all the coaching he can get from those who have 
learned these things by experience, sometimes bitter, but 
always valuable. 


CHAPTER X 


CHAUFFEURS 

W E have lived down a great deal of humbug in the 
matter of motor-drivers, and are beginning to know 
where we are. I can perfectly well remember a day when it 
was thought necessary to pay a good chauffeur ^ week ; 
and men considered themselves lucky to get servants at that. 
The truth was that the demand exceeded the supply in a 
perfectly preposterous manner. Chauffeurs of that time were 
mechanics taken straight from the shops ; and when there 
were not mechanics enough to go round, then we engaged 
small boys who wished to be mechanics. Any youngster 
who hung about a motor factory and picked up a little 
driving knowledge was sure, sooner or later, of a “job” 
upon a car. But, in the main, the earliest drivers were 
skilful men and, taken altogether, possibly the best motor 
servants we have ever had. 

Remember the enthusiasm which this sport inspired among 
its early votaries. Our drivers were hardly less keen. I could 
name one of them who crossed France with me in an old 
Panhard, and was rarely in bed during the journey. There 
never was a happier fellow. Long after I had retired would 
I hear the clang of his tools in the yard of the hotel. The 
imprint of his fine figure was left in the dust on many a high¬ 
road. Rarely did the car come to a halt but that his boots 
were presently displayed from the front or the aft end of it. 
He was as keen a motorist as 1, and had fifty times my 
knowledge. To-day he is the managing director of a great 
English company. I will not say that he goes to the works 
in a horse brougham, but he may possibly emerge every 
morning from a costly motor-landaulette, And I believe 

7 ? 


CHAUFFEURS 


73 


that the old days still dwell pleasantly in his recollection. 
In whose do they not ? 

Men thought little upon the question of wages in those 
days. I have known a driver paid as much as ;^6 a week, 
and paid cheerfully. £200 a year was a common salary. 
Some years passed before we began to consider the question 
at all—for remember that to the rich it did not matter, while 
the poor man sold his very ancestors to possess a car. The 
commercial spirit had not then breathed upon the amateur 
to set him calculating. He did not keep natty notebooks 
wherein was recorded the momentous facts that yesterday 
he spent sixpence on swabs, and the day before had wasted 
a shilling that his brass might profit. The sport was all to 
him. Every day brought its revelations—and its bills. Perhaps 
he enjoyed the very penalty of paying. Was not the recompense 
beyond all belief sufficient ? 

Now, this state of things obviously could not last. The 
time quickly arrived when the new toy had become a con¬ 
siderable financial proposition. We had settled down to the 
luxury of it by this time, and had learnt to complain about 
its cost. Surprising sums indeed were expended upon the 
car in those early days. I have known very rich men whose 
motoring cost them £2,000 for a single year. The expenditure 
ofi^i,ooo was no uncommon outlay ; and, be sure, the cracked 
pots went to the wall. Many a poor man struggled hopelessly 
with a car for a few months, and then fled from the sheriff’s 
officer. Makers themselves began to perceive that the thing 
must be cheaper. Where there had been one chauffeur among 
twenty owners, gradually there came to be twenty amongst 
one. A new class of motor servants was discovered. 
Youngsters began to throng the factories, and to cry for a 
share of this unheard-of plunder. The expected slump in 
wages came quickly enough. We heard no more of five 
pounds a week and rarely of four pounds. For my own part 
I am inclined to think that to-day we have even heard the 
last of three pounds. 

Consider what your ordinary driver can do for you, and 
then ask why you should pay a heavy sum for such services. 


74 


THE AMATEUR MOTORIST 


The man, if he be a good servant, and has but one car to 
keep, will clean that car every day for you. He will drive 
you just as John, your coachman, drove you in the old time. 
He will be able to do such trivial adjustments as the modern 
car needs—keep your ignition in order, grind in the valves, 
adjust the brakes, attend to the lubrication. Should anything 
go wrong—even in the most trifling way—the average driver 
of our time will hasten to the shop. Of course he has a fine 
tale for you. There is something wrong with one of the 
cylinders, says he, or a gear wheel is stripped, or a star wheel 
broken in the differential. Some of the rascals can hardly 
solder a joint. Their great achievement is changing a tyre ; 
and a pretty business many of them make even of this. 

You, on your part, have hitherto been asked to reward such 
very primitive labour by unheard-of payments. But the motor 
world is beginning to get at the truth. It is beginning to 
understand that any youth can be trained in three months 
to do for us at thirty shillings a week precisely what the 
so-called skilled mechanic does for fifty. And presently it 
will not pay more than thirty. Of this I am convinced. 

Of course there are some exceptions to a general statement 
of this kind. When a man owns a big and expensive car 
he certainly does want a skilled mechanic in his service. It 
would be silly to expect a converted groom to take charge, 
say, of a 6-cylinder Napier or a 45-h.p. Mercedes. These big 
cars need a trained hand if they are to give satisfaction. This 
is not to say that they break down more frequently than the 
small car, for certainly they do not. But the general handling 
of the machine, the promotion of its greatest efficiency, and 
the safe driving of it are not to be undertaken by any but the 
motorist of experience. Indeed, from the point of view of 
personal safety alone I myself would not permit any man 
who has not passed his twenty-fifth year to drive such a car ; 
nor would I entrust one to his keeping. 

In this case an owner may pay fifty shillings a week, and 
pay them with pleasure. What he has to guard himself 
against is imposition upon the part of the candidate and 
fraudulent statements of character. I have known drivers 


CHAUFFEURS 


75 


come over from France with a bundle of certificates forged 
to the last line. There are others who secure general state¬ 
ments from easy-going masters, and foist them with additions 
upon unsuspecting applicants for their services. Against all 
this we must guard. A rigid investigation of a chauffeur’s 
claims may save our very necks. 

I could tell some fine stories of these men. Well do I 
remember a huge Dane who drove me to the station in the 
North of England, and having charged a bank, said by way 
of explanation : “You haf never been so near to be dead as 
you was this night.” When his master asked me what I 
thought of the fellow’s driving, I retorted by asking him for 
how much he Was insured. He knew little about motoring, 
and considered it rather clever to round corners upon two 
wheels Dr to cut Q’s upon tramlines. A fortnight after my 
visit he returned to London, and permitted his Dane to drive 
him into the City. They cannoned a tramway standard in 
the first half-mile, and my friend found himself among the 
lobsters upon a fish-stall. And so they came to the parting 
of the ways. But the Dane, I believe, is still driving in Paris, 
though heaven knows how many scalps are at his girdle. 

And then the humorist! One fellow, who came to me for 
a berth, upon hearing that I drove my own car remarked, 
truculently, that he was glad to hear it, but that he permitted 
no one else to drive when he was up. After him came a 
driver from the East, who had a habit of waving the populace 
aside by threatening flourishes of a great brown hand. In 
Egypt, perhaps, the Arabs had skipped before him ; but here 
in England people took it amiss, while the police at Shoreham 
had him in the dock in a jiffy. Well do I remember his 
historic defence. “ Gentlemen,” he said to the Bench, “ the 
policeman he come here, he kiss the book, he tell you lies ; I 
come here, I kiss the book, I tell you the truth—how much to 
pay ? ” And the answer was prompt—“ Four pounds and 
costs.” 

Upon another occasion, when driving down Baker Street my 
p:g)'ptian espied a lady in the road, dragging a pug-dog upon 
a lead. Alarmed at the sudden appearance of the car, this 


76 


THE AMATEUR MOTORIST 


good woman did not attempt to step aside, but merely lifted 
the squirming animal in the air. Happily the Egyptian 
stopped the car in a twinkling; but he also made a sage 
remark : “ That she shall not make her dog dead she would 
kill her own life,” said he. 

And then the absolute frauds! A friend of mine in 
Hampstead, the owner of a 40-h.p. Mercedes, recently engaged 
a driver from a London school, and ordered him to bring 
the car round at nine o’clock upon the following morn¬ 
ing. This the fellow did, and stopped the engine as he 
drove up to the door. Despite heroic exertions the poor 
wretch could not start up again, and when a passing 
chauffeur was kind enough to help him he promptly put in 
the reverse and drove the car violently into the iron gates 
before the house. His rewards were swift, for he was given a 
week’s money and discharged upon the spot. It turned out 
that he had been taught to drive upon a 8-h.p. car, that he 
had had some half a dozen lessons perhaps, had never seen 
a gate change, and knew nothing of a magneto. Had he 
worried through, he would probably have ruined the Mercedes 
in a month. This I pointed out to the owner, who has now 
got a competent man at fifty shillings a week, and is not 
paying a penny too much. 

It is, then, for the small car that the trained coachman or 
young chauffeur will do. Let the owner make it his business 
to understand what should be done, and the rest is easy. I 
myself am greatly in favour of young coachmen, simply 
because they already have a knowledge of the road, and this 
knowledge is invaluable to the motorist. Half the incon¬ 
siderate driving we see is simply the result of lack of this road 
habit. Why, some of the young chauffeurs driving about 
nowadays have never been upon anything but an omnibus 
since they were born. They know nothing of the rules of the 
road, of its courtesies or its penalties. Had they been in 
charge of horses, the transmission would have meant little to 
them. An old coachman knows what another coachman is 
going to do ; he knows how to treat traffic ; he is pi oud of 
the appearance of his car ; and, above all, he is civil. That 


CHAUFFEURS 


77 


insolence, not to be tolerated for an instant, which we 
encounter in the mechanical imposter is rarely associated 
with the coach-house. These men know their place and 
keep it. They are agreeable companions upon a journey, not 
merely insolent louts anxious to rob you when they can. 

Let us suppose that you know of .some such young servant in 
question and would have him trained to be your chauffeur. 
What should be your course ? I am inclined to think that 
you should get him trained by the Royal Automobile Club if 
you are a member ; or, if not there, then at one of the better- 
known London schools whose thoroughness is not to be 
questioned. Of such schools that of the Argyll Company in 
Newman Street is certainly as excellent as any. There i.s, I 
am told, a very successful school at Notting Hill ; and there 
are many private teachers who will do this work to your 
satisfaction. The mi.stake that is often made by the pupil is 
that of taking a driving course only. No man, as I have said, 
can drive a car to the best advantage unless he knows some¬ 
thing of first principles. And certainly no man can take 
charge of a car who is not acquainted with every bolt 
in it. 

Thus, your would-be chauffeur should spend at least three 
months in a motor-works if he can. He should see every 
operation of the common day conducted again and again ; he 
should be taught, as he will be taught by the Argyll people, 
that honesty is the best policy, and that by honesty alone are 
good places kept. The old devices by which our chauffeurs 
robbed us are becoming too well known to be henceforth 
a source of any considerable profit. A simpleton indeed is 
he who permits his man to .sell old tyres or to buy new ones, 
to choose a repairer, to run unchecked bills, or to take the car 
out just to try her whenever he may please. We have learnt 
the truths of these things for ourselves; or if we have not 
learnt them, then we deserve to be robbed. 

Writing upon this subject in The Sphere some time last year 
I made the following notes upon drivers and do not think that 
I can do better than reprint them here. Then, as now, I 
endeavoured to explode the theory of the skilled mechanic. 


78 


THE AMATEUR MOTORIST 


and to show how very few are the serious repairs that he can 
undertake for us. 

“ Let us readily admit,” I said, “ that so far as repairs go 
the majority of chauffeurs are impotent. A friend of mine had 
a great idea that he would hire a renowned mechanic and 
henceforth dispense with repair bills. The fellow came to him 
backed by florid recommendations from foreign firms. He 
was installed ; he began. In a week he had spent about £6o 
in tools. In a fortnight the car was back at the manufacturer’s 
with a bent crank-shaft and a broken differential. This 
renowned mechanic celebrated his third week of residence 
under my friend’s roof by stealing the £6o worth of tools and 
emigrating to America. From that time his late master has 
employed trained grooms as chauffeurs ; he pays them 
2^s. a week, and on the whole is no worse off. He has learnt, 
as many have learnt, that the greatest fraud in motoring is 
often the professional mechanic. So that after all there is a 
sense of balance about the matter. 

“ The truth is, that cars are often very badly treated because 
the owner will not take the trouble to master elementals. It 
is all nonsense to protest that there is no mechanical aptitude. 
The veriest tyro can learn in a week enough about the care 
of a motor-car to prevent his driver playing fast and loose 
with him. I know many owners who never open the bonnets 
of their cars. They are quite unaware whether the man 
cleans the engine or not. They cannot tell you in what 
condition the clutch, gear-box, and differential are. As long 
as the superior person who patronises them cleans the paint 
(he is sure to do it with petrol) and polishes the external 
brass, they do not care for anything else. Sometimes you 
could grow mushrooms in the interiors of these cars. 

“ I looked into the undertray of a Spyker the other day, 
and found it full of grease and mud almost up to the clutch- 
shaft. I had never seen such a spectacle, but the owner did 
not even know that the floor boards took up. Now, a man 
can learn these things, and it is his duty to learn them. 
It is quite easy to see that the work is done if you know how 
it should be done. Any novice may understand that a car 


CHAUFFEURS 


79 


should never be left overnight with the mud upon it, that 
it should be hosed down directly it comes in, that mud must 
never be rubbed or brushed off, that a spoke brush should 
never be used, that a sponge is the safest implement when a 
hose has been used, and after that a selvyt or a chamois 
leather. He should rigorously^forbid his chauffeur to use 
petrol for paint-work. The commonest excuse of the motor- 
house is, ‘ We cannot get the motor-car clean this muddy 
weather unless we use petrol or paraffin.’ This is mere 
4 aziness—it means to say that the men will not be at the 
pains to do the work properly. I repeat that a novice 
can see that it is so done just as well as any expert. 

“ The engine of a car should be cleaned every morning. 
French drivers have a much greater care for their engines 
than English. When I was touring in the south of France 
last year this fact was brought home to me somewhat 
ironically. The English drivers would be smoking their 
morning cigarettes while the Frenchmen were, to a man, 
cleaning their engines. At Toulouse I saw an English 
car reeking with oil and filth. Very proudly the driver 
told us that he had never cleaned his engine since he had it; 
needless to say he was an Englishman. 

“ See that your driver cleans his engine every day, and 
pay, as it were, surprise visits to the gear-box ; take the 
footboards up when he is least expecting you to do so, 
and see how much of this world’s goods you have gathered 
together in your undertray. A liberal allowance of filthy 
oil mixed with road mud and small stones does not bear 
witne.ss to that zeal which even a moderate enthusiasm may 
demand. Discharge the man on the spot who keeps his car 
in a filthy condition, and you have done much to lessen 
the expense of keeping a motor-car. 

“In the same mood, have nothing to do with the showy 
driver, so prevalent amongst the hired assassins of our own 
time. >When you see a driver start the car with a jerk, 
ram in his second speed before he has gone five yards, and 
be on his top before he has gone fifty, consider yourself 
unworthy of him and make a change. He will do your 


8o 


THE AMATEUR MOTORIST 


car considerable injury in a week, and will destroy it in 
six months. The plain truth is that we have been far too 
tolerant with these men, and too often allowed them to 
become our masters. Let us deal with them as we would 
deal with other servants, and then only shall we begin to get 
order in our motor-houses.” 

Let me add, in conclusion, that good drivers are often 
to be heard of at the Royal Automobile Club and at several 
London firms. The London Motor Garage Company in 
Wardour Street make it their business to supply men of 
assured character and ability. 


^ J Xa 



Messrs. Botwood & Egerton’s Garage at Newmarket. 






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Interior of Messrs. Mann, Egerton & Co.'s Garage, Norwich. 

















•v-. 



BOOK II 

THE CAR 


CHAPTER XI 
THE MOTOR-HOUSE 

W HEN we have ordered our car and engaged a trust¬ 
worthy driver (if we can find such a treasure) our 
next consideration is the motor-house. Where shall we 
stable our car and under what conditions ? This is an 
important question and not to be dismissed lightly. Much 
depends upon the way our car is housed. A cabined and 
confined stall may do considerable mischief. We must 
think of this almost before our order is signed. It will never 
do to be driven into any corner as some owners are. 

Let us never forget that the common coach-house and the 
London mews are together responsible for not a little injury 
to our steering gears. I was discussing this question lately 
with an old driver, who told me that since he had come to 
London he used up quadrants as other people use leathers. 
His car is stabled in a narrow coach-house in a narrow mews. 
It is obviously absurd in such a case to dwell upon the fine 
precept that he should never turn the wheels of a car when 
it is standing. A certain amount of wheel manipulation is 
absolutely necessary to get our car out of such a trap as this. 
If a man must house his car in a London mews, let him 
choose a stable which is decently wide and to which access is 
direct—that is to say, not by a tortuous entry or a bottle¬ 
necked bay. In this case one reverse may get him home 
every time. I have known stables which even the cleverest 
driver could not make until he had twice reversed his car, 

8i 6 


82 


THE AMATEUR MOTORIST 


and upon that worked his wheel energetically when the 
car was at rest. This sort of thing would ruin the best 
steering that ever was built. We see it, however, in London 
almost every day. 

Unfortunately both the situation and the management of 
the motor-house do not receive the consideration from owners 
which they deserve. I know many men who never visit their 
stables at all. They are both ignorant of, and indifferent to, 
the happenings therein. Putting a sublime faith in that very 
ordinary individual, the chauffeur, they entrust the whole 
keeping of their car to him, and are obedient to his require¬ 
ments. If this fellow chooses to take “Mary Ann” out o’ 
nights and show her what it means to do forty miles an hour 
on the King’s high-road, he is perfectly at liberty to do so. 
Perhaps the owner would not recognise his own car if he met 
it in the street. I have known instances of the kind. 

Now, all this leads to great extravagance. Chauffeurs are 
but human and will respond quickly enough if you invite 
them to take liberties. A man who is never looked after 
will quickly become clever at looking after himself Let 
a driver discover that his master never checks his bills, has 
no interest in the car when not riding in it and generally is 
a lamb to be shorn, and the shearing process will begin soon 
enough. As a class, I fear, these men are not honest. There 
are many honourable exceptions—^drivers who are a treasure 
in the house ; men to be treated with the greatest respect, and 
to whom the management of the car can be safely left. But 
alas! they are few, and it would be foolish to pretend that 
they are not. 

This being the case, any man who is contemplating 
motoring may well ask himself how much trouble he is likely 
to have in the matter. I will answer him that he need have 
very little. There is nothing simpler in the world than to 
arrive at a general idea of the cost of running a car^ and 
when that sum is arrived at, the rest is easy. Inquire of a 
motoring friend what your yearly bills should be. If they 
exceed the sum, discharge your man. He may be un¬ 
fortunate, merely unskilful, or dishonest. Do not trouble 



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THE MOTOR-HOUSE 


83 

your head about the particular deficiency, but discharge him. 
Money is being wasted somewhere ; and if you be as rich as 
Croesus, you are foolish to waste money. I know owners of 
20-h.p. cars who come to me and say that their cost of 
up-keep has been as much as ^^500. I tell them that it 
should have been no more than ;6350, depreciations apart, 
and that even this sum is a generous outlay. Possibly their 
car is a bad one, and in some part responsible for the charges. 
If that be so, it is the man’s duty to tell his master frankly 
what is the matter. But in nine c^ses out of ten be sure that 
the car is all right and the driver all wrong. 

I say that motor owners should visit their stables frequently. 
Some seem quite timid about the business. They tell you 
that their man would think he were suspected if they 
appeared upon the scenes, say, at ten o’clock at night. But 
their man’s feelings are not under consideration! and the 
owner who is afraid to assert himself in this way deserves 
all that he gets. After all, your motor-driver is but one of 
your servants. The stable is yours, and all that therein is. 
Visit it frequently ; drop in whenever you feel disposed, and 
you will learn more about your car in a month than twenty 
years of questioning would elicit. What is more, you will 
find yourself taking a new and pleasurable interest both in 
your car and its management. Motoring will become a real 
hobby to you—and there is none more engrossing. 

Years ago it was necessary to tell an owner that he must 
have a pit in his stable. We lived largely under our cars in 
those days. Just as curates buy “litany boots,” so did we 
feel it necessary to show sound “ soles ” to the populace. 
The heart of the machine was only to be observed by this 
abject grovelling, this personal abasement. How largely the 
construction of motor-cars has helped us to dispense with 
the pit, individual practice will bear willing testimony. Never 
in twenty-four months have I found it necessary to use a pit 
for my own Spyker. Modern cars, indeed, seem designed 
altogether to war upon the old abyss. The best of them are 
wonderfully accessible. You get at your clutch by lifting a 
foot-board ; you glance at your big-ends by opening an 


84 


THE AMATEUR MOTORIST 


inspection plate ; you release a spring clip, and the lid of the 
gear-box is to be lifted off; boards raised from the floor of 
the tonneau permit you to get at the rear brake and the 
differential. The pit, indeed, is a thing of yesterday. You 
never hear of it in ninety per cent, of our motor stables. 

This being the case, what are our general requirements 
when we come to house a car ? They are firstly a stable 
to which there is easy access. If we hire a coach-house in 
a narrow thoroughfare, where we must reverse frequently 
to get our car home, then, as I have said, our steering will 
be quick to chide us. Let the stable, if possible, be such 
that a car can make it with one reverse at the worst. We 
must have room for a bench in it; and if our man be worth 
his salt, we should also be able to stable a lathe. This 
means to say that considerable space is desirable other than 
that for the car itself A narrow, cramped coach-house means 
broken wings and dented body and other exasperating 
wounds which attend the return of a tired chauffeur and 
his desire to fly to the arms of “ Mary Ann ” aforesaid. And 
in justice let it be said that, however careful your man is, 
an oversmall stable will bring him to grief sometime. Even 
Homer may nod—and there is very little of the Homer to 
be had for thirty shillings a week. 

Given a spacious stable, then, we must light it by electric 
light and see that it is dry. The former is almost indis¬ 
pensable. Gas must be always a danger where petrol is about 
—but more than that, gas is apt to rot our tyres and our 
spokes, to play the dickens with our brass work, and generally 
to depreciate our property. If we must have it, let it be 
used as rarely as possible, and let us see that the incandescent 
lamp is fitted everywhere. 

The warming of the motor-house is the greater problem. 
Experts recommend hot-water pipes ; and undoubtedly much 
is to be said for them. But in London hot-water pipes 
are often out of the question, while a gas stove is highly 
dangerous and a coal fire impossible. I have found the char¬ 
coal stove as sold by Mr. Norton of Llandiwrod, Wales, to 
be the safest and most satisfactory thing under such circum- 


THE MOTOR-HOUSE 


85 

stances. If you light this at night and throw the stable 
doors wide open next morning, you will suffer nothing by the 
fumes, while the house will be warm and dry enough for the 
next two days to come should there be no frost. In frosty 
weather, of course, the stove must be lighted every night ; 
but the expense of it is too trifling for words and its results 
undoubtedly satisfactory. 

See that your driver always keeps the car covered with 
a waterproof cover. This is indispensable to the motor- 
house. I venture to say that a car will keep its good appear¬ 
ance for two or three years if it be properly covered directly 
it is cleaned. Have a sheet which will go right over it, keep¬ 
ing the tarnish from your lamps and the dust from your 
leather. In a similar manner you will have canvas covers 
for all your spare tyres and tubes, which will be hung upon 
nails about your walls. Damp is the enemy—and damp 
must be kept out at any cost. Compel your man to have 
leaking taps repaired at once ; see that the hose is in good 
order ; keep wet out of your stable. 

As to the cleaning of the paint work itself, if you under¬ 
stand how a carriage should be cleaned, you understand also 
the cleaning of a car. Insist, whenever it is reasonable, that 
the mud shall be hosed off directly your car returns to the 
stable. Forbid the man to clean your paint with petrol; but 
let him use a selvyt and plenty of “ elbow grease.” Some 
motor cars are shockingly treated in this respect. Lazy 
drivers will tell you, whenever they are away from home, that 
there is no accommodation for washing and that it really does 
not matter. Do not believe them—for if you do, your paint 
will soon have a tale to tell. 

All this means that system is desirable, and upon system, 
oversight. A master who really means to have the thing 
well done will draw up a set of rules for his house and 
insist upon their observance. I have such a set in my mind 
and write them here for what they are worth. They are 
rules I insist upon in my own stable, and for the breaking 
of which I have discharged more than one otherwise use¬ 
ful man. 


86 


THE AMATEUR MOTORIST 


Rules for the Management of the Motor-house 

1. All mud to be hosed from the car immediately upon 
its return to the stable ; but should the hour of that return 
be unreasonable, then the washing to be done before break¬ 
fast next morning. 

2. The engine, all paint and brass work to be cleaned 
every morning without fail. 

3. The whole car, including gear-box, differential, and 
undertray to be thoroughly inspected and cleaned once 
a month. 

4. All steering-leathers to be removed once a week, the 
bolts thoroughly greased, the pins examined, and the wheels 
tested for alignment. 

5. All tools, when not in use, to be kept either on the car 
or in their proper drawers, to which they must be returned 
immediately work is concluded for the day. 

6. The car to be covered whenever it is not in use. 

7. All spare covers to be kept in canvas cases and hung 
up against the walls. 

8. No leakage of water to be permitted from hose or taps. 
No oil to be left on the concrete. 

9. No sale to roving dealers under any circumstances what¬ 
ever. Immediate discharge the penalty. 

10. No unnecessary racing of the engine under the pretence 
of adjustment. 

11. No tinkering with the engine when it is running well. 

12. One set of accumulators to be upon the charging-hoard, 
the other two sets upon the car. There is no excuse but 
carelessness for a discharged accumulator. 

12. In cold weather, the water to be drawn off every night. 

13. Tyres to be kept fully pumped and tried by the gauge. 
All small cuts to be attended to immediately. 

14. Cleanliness the supreme rule both in the car and the 
house. 

It is not difficult to insist upon these rules in a well-found 
stable ; it is exceedingly difficult to make them effective 
where the stable is old and earthy, and of the thatched-roof 


THE MOTOR-HOUSE 


87 


order. Some country stables are terrible places in which 
to house the modern car—the floors of earth, the roofs of 
straw and timber, the walls reeking with damp. A more 
unsuitable home for delicate machinery could not be imagined, 
and do not let us forget that those who contemplate keeping 
a car under such conditions are taking grave risks. For 
my part, I would say, make an end of the business at once 
and either buy one of the specially constructed iron buildings 
or rebuild your stable de novo. You will never have satis¬ 
faction until you do. Your car will perish in such a place— 
your loss must be considerable. And what can you expect 
of your man when you give so little ? The best driver that 
ever handled a wheel might despair under the circumstances 
I have named. 

For warmth, be sure, and dryness are the first conditions 
necessary to the motor stable. Christmas will be coming 
anon, and with Christmas the frosts. How are you to keep 
frost out of such a place ? And remember, although you make 
it a rule to draw the water from your cylinders directly 
the first nip comes, you may be caught napping after all 
and a hundred pounds’ worth of mischief done. Spend the 
money on the stable you mean to build. Put up a com¬ 
modious brick house, the floor of concrete, the roof sound, 
electric light if you can have it, and a charging-board for 
your accumulators. Bring a powerful jet of water for cleaning 
purposes, and hot-water pipes to save your machinery. The 
money, I repeat, is well spent. It is the supremity of folly 
to house your motor in these ancient barns ; even did Queen 
Elizabeth herself condescend to swear at her grooms beneath 
roofs so ancient. 


CHAPTER XII 


THE CARE OF THE ENGINE 
HE amateur who drives his own car will quickly become 



1 interested in its engine. Though h<^ have no mechani¬ 
cal bias, he will, nevertheless, quickly find himself discussing 
things he had not so much as heard of three months ago; 
while in a year he will be a very dictionary of motoring argot. 

I am making no pretence in this book to deal with other 
than the elementals of motor engineering. It is well enough 
for the few to be able to expound in quadratics the precise 
value of this or the pressure equation of that. The born 
engineer, who must be squaring something, will present you 
with r—n’s enough to make a Smith’s prizeman happy for 
life, if you lend him an ear for five minutes or so. But this, 
surely, has no part or lot in the mere amateur’s diary. We 
like to know the first principles of our engine. It is a 
pleasure and a strength to be able to keep that engine running 
and to weather the storms that a romancing chauffeur would 
conjure up for us. No man is really master of his car until 
he can trust himself alone with it; and to trust himself alone 
wisely implies some little experience. I shall endeavour in 
this chapter to show what are the common troubles of a 
later-day motorist; how they are to be overcome, and what 
is the meaning of them. 

Let us, then, take the car from stem to stern and catechise 
ourselves, as we go along, upon the various ailments we 
discover and their remedy. Obviously, before we attempt 
to start up our engine we shall have done certain things ; and 
the first of these will have been to lubricate the machinery 
freely. There is nothing so important as lubrication in the 
whole motor curriculum. You can over-lubricate a car to 


THE CARE OF THE ENGINE 89 

your inconvenience; but you can under-lubricate it to its 
ruin. So vve shall spare neither grease nor oil. And first we 
shall fill up the main lubricator upon our dashboard. In the 
modern car the oil pump is very largely taking the place 
of the Dubrelle form of lubricator; but whatever the system 
may be there will be one main oil-tank to fill, and that 
we shall fill with such oil as our makers recommend. 

No man, I repeat, can be too scrupulous upon this point. 



The Lubricating System on the Daimler Cars. Mercurial Pressure-gauge 
on Dashboard. 


I have seen many a good car hopelessly ruined by want of 
lubrication. One of the prettiest little 15-h.p. Orleans that 
ever I sat upon was wrecked by its owner on the first day he 
had it. He drove it to Norwich and neglected to watch the 
drip feeds upon his dashboard. As a matter of fact, the 
lubricator was not working, and by the time he reached 
Newmarket his engine had seized. So, you see, we have not 
only to fill the lubricator, but, having started our engine, to 
watch it for a while to make sure that all is well with it. 






























90 


THE AMATEUR MOTORIST 


Having done so much, what is the next course ? My own 
practice is to go on immediately to the gear-box, to open the 
lid of it and to see that the wheels are well covered with a 
mixture of oil and grease, or with gear-oil alone, if that is 
to be preferred. There is no fixed rule for oiling either the 
gear-box or the differential. You must keep them filled as 
occasion requires—the differential to the level of the cock, the 
gear-box well above the shafts. Your clutch, you will find, 
if it be of the old-fashioned leather cone variety, will probably 
have a grease-cup attached; and this you must fill every 
morning and screw down to force the grease into the bearing. 
The same rule applies to the grease-cup upon your pump, and 
to that upon the universal joint. 

You will now take your oil-can in hand and begin the 
minor tasks. Starting at the fan, see that its bearings are 
properly lubricated. If there be—as there should be—proper 
lubricators for your steering-gear, give them a good supply ; 
pour a little oil into the commutator and see that the old oil 
is first cleaned out ; use oil freely on all joints of the radius 
rods, the brakes, the throttle and the ignition motions. Do 
not forget the magneto ; and by no means overlook the fact 
that every spring upon your car will (or should be) fitted with a 
lubricator, and that oil should be used freely upon the shackles. 

For my part, I think it an excellent thing, when a man 
is buying a car, that he should get the foreman of the works 
to go over the lubrication system with him, thus teaching him 
the situation of every grease-cup and of every oil-hole that 
might otherwise remain undiscovered. And when this is 
done the owner .should make a table for himself, noting what 
are the daily needs and what the need of circumstance. The 
hubs of the front wheels, for instance, should be looked to 
about every five hundred miles and refilled with oil if 
necessary; but you might ruin a clutch by leaving it for 
a single day unattended. If a table of this kind were to 
be drawn up by me, I should make it very brief. Thus it 
would run :— 

(i) Fill every greaser every day and give it half a turn 
to force the lubricant in, 


THE CARE OF THE ENGINE 


91 


(2) Wherever there is a hole for oil, inject oil daily. 

(3) Look at your differential and gear-box once every 

three days at least and keep them filled to a given 
mark. 

(4) Oil your front wheels (or look to them) every five 

hundred miles. 

We have now oiled our car and are ready to fill up with 
petrol. We shall have a good filter in the tank, of course, 
and also, if we are wise, a Bowden filter in the petrol pipe 
itself. There is nothing more troublesome than water or grit 
in our carburettor ; there is no surer prevention than a good 
gauze filter in the tank and a Bowden filter in the pipe. Of 
these we assume the existence, and, making sure that the 
petrol tank is full, we .shall next look to our radiator. This 
should be filled with distilled water, obtained from our 
chemist at sixpence a bottle. I myself think it impossible to 
over-estimate the importance of such a practice. The 
ordinary London water, taken from the tap, is about as bad 
for our radiators as anything could be. Just look at the 
condition of the common kitchen boiler when Make-a-job, 
the plumber, comes to clean it for us. The pipes are furred 
to an extraordinary degree, as we know. Notwithstanding 
their diameter, the circulation of the water is sometimes 
almost stopped, as the family is well aware, when “ pa ” says 
weird things in the bathroom. Imagine, then, what must be 
going on in those countless tubes of our radiator. Why, it 
is amazing to me, not that we have radiator troubles, but that 
they are not universal. And all this, remember, could be 
remedied by the regular use of distilled water, which will cost us 
two or three shillings at the worst. So, let us be wise in time 
and refuse to contemplate the day when we shall be washing 
out our tubes with caustic soda and bestowing anathemas 
upon our pump. Keep the radiator filled with distilled water, 
and the car from the shops. 

When a man has done these things, when he has turned on 
his petrol, tickled the float of his carburettor and made sure 
that the spirit is flowing, when he has switched on his ignition 
and put his starting-handle into engagement, he is ready 


92 


THE AMATEUR MOTORIST 


to set his engine going. Should it be a bad starter or have 
been idle for some days, he is wise to delay the switching 
on of the ignition for some minutes and to practise other 
methods. Let him, for instance, open the compression taps 
at the cylinder heads and inject a few drops of paraffin into 
each orifice. He should then turn the starting handle 
smartly, easing the pistons and sucking the petrol into the 
cylinders. He may now switch on the ignition and start 
in earnest. If the compression be good, his ignition in order 
and all the accumulators charged, he will probably start at 
the first turn. Should he be driving on magneto, however, 
he may need some dozen rapid revolutions of the crank-shaft 
before he will get his engine going. 

Let me emphasise this point particularly. I see men 
fiddling about with their carburettors and their ignition when 
all that is needed is a brisk turn at the starting-handle. The 
modern engine starts readily enough when it has once been 
warmed up. It is the beginning in the early morning which 
alone should be troublesome. Do not, I say, at this time 
be too ready to anticipate difficulties. The oil in your 
cylinders is stiff, the cylinder walls themselves are cold, the 
magneto may need a rapid revolution to give you the 
necessary spark. So prepare for a few minutes’ active 
exercise, keep your ignition retarded and turn the handle 
for all you are worth. If she does not start upon this, then 
advance your ignition some notches and try again ; but you 
must be careful not to advance it overmuch, for the risk 
of a back fire is always there, as many a driver has found 
to his cost. 

It is when the engine refuses to start altogether that the 
mere amateur is often flabbergasted. All the knowledge that 
he has got out of books comes whirling into his brain to 
confuse and appal him. Grit in the carburettor, water in the 
petrol, sooty plugs, accumulators run down, magneto dirty, 
valves stuck up, compression bad—what, in heaven’s name, 
he asks himself, is a mere amateur to do? 

Let us endeavour to reassure this good fellow. If his 
engine really will not respond to a brisk turning of the 


THE CARE OF THE ENGINE 


93 


starting handle, then it is time for him to begin to look 
round, but to look round not vaguely but with method. 
Should he have accumulator ignition, I recommend him 
instantly to turn to that, and let him turn according to the 
rule. To begin with, he should open his commutator and 
manipulate the crank-shaft until one of the contacts is made. 
Now let him listen to the coil. Is it buzzing? For if it be 
silent, he has a short circuit, and no current is entering it. 
What, then, is the matter now ? I reply the accumulators 


ro S PA R k: PL u os 



must be the matter, or a defective switch. Take your volt¬ 
meter and see what current you have in your accumulators ; 
examine the terminals. If there be four or six volts, as the 
case may be, you may cease to think of accumulators and 
should go on to the switch. Is there a short circuit there? 
Arc the terminals and wires quite clean and screwed home ? 
Is the switch loose in any of its joints ? Should these 
questions be answered favourably, our next thought must be 
for the earth wire—the wire from the negative of the accumu¬ 
lator to the chassis. Is the terminal of this clean and properly 
screwed down ? How many cars have I seen brought to a 
stand by the breaking away of the earth wire or a defective 




























94 


THE AMATEUR MOTORIST 


connection there! Look to these things and make sure of 
them. For if you have current in your accumulator, if your 
wires are not broken, if the earth connections are sound and 
the switch is all right, then you must get current through 
your coil. 

Let us take the second case, where, upon contact being 
made in the commutator, there is buzzing in the coil, but 
still no result. We must have our plugs out this time and 
test them. Take a plug at hazard, get some one to turn the 
starting handle for you, and lay that plug gently upon the 
cylinder, so that contact is made between the wire and 
the iron of the cylinder head. Now watch for a spark. If it 
does not come, one of three things may be the cause. The 
plug may be dirty, covered with soot or oil ; the points of it 
may be too close together ; or the secondary wire itself may 
have a faulty terminal. Clean the plug first, and take no 
risks that way. Try a common visiting-card between the 
points of the plug, and if it just fits they are about right for 
accumulators. Half a millimetre is the proper distance. 
Should your ignition be magneto, however, remember that 
*4 of a millimetre is the correct space. Measure this upon a 
scale if your eye is not accustomed to gauge it; and when 
you have cleaned your plugs and looked to your points, then 
go back to the terminals upon the coil. See that these are 
clean and well screwed home, and it is a hundred to one that 
they are in order. 

I am, of course, assuming that when you clean the plugs 
you also examine them very carefully lest any should be 
damaged. In the case of one cylinder persistently missing 
fire at the plug and the others being in order, it is large odds 
either that the wire from the coil to that contact is broken or 
that the plug itself is deficient, and should be immediately 
changed. Sparking-plugs are of many varieties, but their 
habits are various. I have run the cheapest of them for 
six months—the dearest for three days. There is no rule 
whatever in the matter, no wisdom but this—to change 
your plug whenever that particular cylinder begins to give 
you trouble. 


THE CARE OF THE ENGINE 


95 


Writing to me upon this interesting subject of accumulator 
ignition, Messrs. Peto and Radford, undoubtedly the greatest 
experts vve have, were good enough to send me the following 
notes. I do not think that I can add anything useful to them, 
nor should I attempt to amend so concise a statement: 

“ The electrical ignition on an automobile fitted with an 
induction coil and accumulators depends for its energy upon 
the accumulator, and therefore it is absolutely necessary to 
give the accumulator proper attention, and to see that it is 
kept properly charged and in good working condition before 
anything else. 

“ Many people neglect this most essential apparatus whilst 
giving careful attention to all other working parts of the car, 
with the result that this form of ignition is often unjustly 
abused, when it is really the most simple and reliable, besides 
being the most easily fitted and elastic system in many ways. 

“ First in importance comes the care of the accumulator. 
The accumulator should be looked upon as a box containing 
a store of electric energy, which will leak away across a wet 
lid or through a layer of dust, and at the same time will 
cause corrosion of the terminals if they are left in a wet and 
dirty condition. 

“ Therefore the top of the cells should be kept absolutely 
clean. Any spilt acid or spray should be wiped off, and all 
overflow removed by wiping the top over with water and 
cloudy ammonia to neutralise any acid. The terminals should 
be kept quite clean, and if any corrosion be apparent it 
should be removed by sponging with warm water and 
ammonia, followed by water only. When quite dry the 
terminals, rubber collars, and lead supports should be covered 
with vaseline, except on the parts which have to make 
contact with the wires. 

“ Many people misunderstand the cause of corrosion on 
terminals, thinking it is due to the action of the acid only. 
But this is not the case. The excessive corrosion which 
sometimes takes place on a positive terminal, eating part of 
it away and piling up a growth of brown oxide, is due to a 
process similar to that of electro-plating. 1 he leaking current 


THE AMATEUR MOTORIST 


96 

of electricity, assisted by the acid, is decomposing the metal of 
the terminal, and it is no easy matter to arrest this, once it 
has obtained a firm hold. 

“ Cleanliness and care will preserve the accumulator from 
loss by leakage. It is also an important matter to see that 
the plates in the cells are not damaged by discharging them 
to a point which is injurious. The normal voltage of an 
accumulator cell is 2'2 volts; and when this has fallen below 
1*8 volts, the condition of the plates is such that they are 
readily acted upon by the acid in an injurious degree unless 
they are recharged as soon as possible within reasonable 
limits. If an accumulator is run down, and then left on a 
shelf for some weeks, it will be quite ruined as a good battery. 
The acid in accumulators does not require renewal when the 
cells are re-charged ; but it is important to keep it up to its 
correct strength from time to time. Constant charging has 
the effect of dissipating the hydrogen in the acid, and after 
some time the acid loses its strength and requires bringing 
up to the correct specific gravity. 

“ Sulphuric acid used for some small accumulators should 
be of good quality, as sold for electrical purposes, and should 
be mixed with distilled water to a specific gravity of about 
1*200°—this being roughly one part acid to four and a half 
parts water. 

“To obtain complete satisfaction with accumulators the 
following rules should be observed ; 

“(i) Purchase a first-class article in the first instance, 
giving preference to ebonite cells instead of celluloid, which 
is not a good material for storage cells, except that it has the 
advantage of transparency. 

“(2) See that the acid when first put in is of correct 
strength and quality. 

“(3) See that the charging current is not too high, and 
that the battery is well charged until the positive plates are 
a dark chocolate colour, in direct contrast with the negatives, 
whieh should be a bluish grey. When fully charged and on 
open circuit, that is not discharging, the voltage may be as 
high as four and a half, with well-eharged eells. 



Phviu by Caul phi’ll Gray. 


The 15-h.p. Panhard Landaulette (open). 



















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THE CARE OF THE ENGINE 


97 


“(4) Keep the cells scrupulously clean, especially on the 
tops between the terminals, and remember the stored 
electricity will leak across if you give it a chance to do so. 

“ (5) Do not use the battery after it has been discharged 
to r8 volts per cell, unless you are on the road and unable 
to help it. Get the battery recharged as soon as possible 
after you have found it to be run out. 

“ (6) Keep the strength of acid up to the mark, and never 
put ordinary water in the cells. 

“ The induction coil has, as a rule, only one part that requires 
a certain amount of attention, that is the platinum contact 
points between the trembler blades. These should always be 
kept filed true and perfectly flat when they have been worn 
and burnt sufficiently to spoil a perfect contact. 

“ Filing a pair of contacts flat is not so easy to some people 
as to others. It depends on the mechanical talents of the 
operator. But a little practice and trouble should enable 
every one to adjust the tremblers sufficiently to proceed, even 
if skilled attention may be required later. 

“ Induction coils should be kept dry, and should not be 
placed in a position where great heat is present, as they 
are filled with wax. 

“ The induction coil takes current from the battery, the 
amount of this current being chiefly dependent upon the re¬ 
sistance of the primary winding of the coil. This is a fixed 
quantity, and the current which passes round the primary 
winding varies from ij to 3 amperes in different coils. 

“ Contact breakers should be periodically cleaned and in¬ 
spected in order to ascertain whether the segments are much 
worn. When these are worn down the burr of metal on 
the edges will cause a partial short circuit which can be very 
troublesome, as it is difficult to detect. 

“Contact breakers with roller contacts should always be 
kept well-oiled and free from deposits of thick grease, which 
may spoil the contact.” 

It would seem to be, then, that our ignition by accumu¬ 
lators chiefly depends upon the state of the accumulators 

7 


98 


THE AMATEUR MOTORIST 


themselves, of the terminals, and of the sparking-plugs. We 
have yet to consider the coil itself, and the niceties of adjust¬ 
ment it demands. Some men have a positive instinct for 
adjusting the platinum screws. Their ears can detect in 
a moment that peculiar buzz which denotes the highest point 
of efficiency. Others never seem to detect it, though they 
may be drivers for years. And yet I say without hesitation, 
that should you possess electric ignition alone, 90 per cent, of 
your success as an amateur driver will depend upon the nice 
adjustment of your trembler blades. 

Perhaps the best practice is that which we get when quite 
alone. I think a man should try this adjustment by himself, 
running up the gamut of the scale and listening to all the 
various sounds which the coil will give out when the platinum 
screws are raised or depressed. Remember that the higher 
the note given out by the trembler the greater the efficiency 
and, in consequence, the speed of the engine. As a start, 
screw the blade down until there is no buzzing at all ; 
gradually release the pressure upon it until you hear the 
welcome sounds, and go on releasing it until they cease 
again. 

You will now begin to understand that the coil makes 
music for you ; that its low vibrations are of no particular use; 
but that its higher notes are what you want. You may, 
in some measure, take the engine for your guide. Cause two 
of the coils to be put out of action, and experiment with the 
other two. Depress or raise the blades, and hear what the 
engine does during the process. When you have made the 
experiment to your satisfaction, then, if you can, ask some 
old driver to adjust the tremblers in your presence; listen to 
the sounds that please him, try to understand the rhythm 
of the engine and what produces it. Should a cylinder 
be out of tune and the trembler blade refuse to bring it back, 
then be sure that the trouble is in the plug, the points of 
which may be too far apart or too near. 

Experience alone can guide you in this. If the com¬ 
pression of any particular cylinder is unusually high, the 
points of your plug must be closer than for a lower com- 


THE CARE OF THE ENGINE 


99 


pression. This is a fact too often overlooked by careless 
chauffeurs. There is another point. Do not forget occasion¬ 
ally to reverse the direction of the current through the 
system. Your positive from the accumulators goes, we will 
say, straight to the switch, your negative to earth. Every 
alternate week let your positive go to earth and your negative 
to the switch. This will prevent that wear upon your 
platinum points which otherwise cannot be but a source 
of trouble. Some men are always having to file the platinum 
points true because they never think to reverse the direction 
of the current. 

This is a little thing, and yet it is astonishing how much 
annoyance it will save us. I would have the amateur make 
a note of it. So, also, would I beg him to be careful to whom 
he trusts his accumulators when they must be charged. If 
he can have a charging board in his own stable, so much the 
better. These are not as common in London as they might 
be ; and they are not as common for the simple reason that 
many of the London companies deliver an alternating current 
to us. This means to say that if we would charge our 
accumulators at home, we must purchase a transformer— 
somewhat a costly implement, but well bought if we are 
to rely upon ignition by accumulators. My own plan is 
to seek out an electrician of standing and to offer him a 
double fee if he will keep my accumulators upon the board 
at half the amperage (that is at about an ampere) usually 
employed and for double the number of hours. It is won¬ 
derful how cells thus charged will keep their current. 

Too often do we see a good accumulator ruined by the 
ignorance and the haste of the man to whom we entrust it. 
Of all mischievous places that I know in this respect, some of 
the great electric-light stations have been, within my experi¬ 
ence, the worst. Here they often charge our accumulators 
straight from the dynamo ; sometimes they are not even 
at the pains to send the current through them in the direction 
it should go. I have had cells returned to me with absolutely 
no charge at all in them ; others so charged that they were 
exhausted before I had driven fifty miles; others again, burned 


100 


THE AMATEUR MOTORIST 


and seared by the careless handling of the wires from the 
dynamo. These sins are rarely committed by the electrician 
in a small way of business. Seek out such a one. in your 
neighbourhood and give the work to him. 

Of course, if you have a direct current from your company, 
it is the simplest thing possible to charge your own switch 
in your establishment. Should you know nothing of elec¬ 
tricity, get an electrician to give you five minutes’ instruction 
and to rig up a little charging-board for you. He will put 
the proper resistance in the circuit. However clear directions 
may be, do you know nothing of electricity, you are likely 
to bungle the thing, and to bungle it badly. So I say, if you 
would charge at home, get an electrician to fix a charging- 
board and the rest is child’s play. You have but to couple 
the wires to your accumulators and to leave them there for 
ten or twenty hours as the need may be. 

Writing some months ago of magneto ignition I find that 
I made the following notes : 

“ I am inclined to recommend a neglected high tension 
magneto as an excellent substitute for a gymnastic course. 
It is astonishing what different reports one hears of this high- 
tension ignition. Some men will tell you that they can 
invariably start their cars by half a turn of the handle ; 
others speak of exasperating performances which would have 
done no disgrace to the nomadic monkey upon a barrel- 
organ. The truth lies, as did David Balfour’s politics, 
‘ betwixt and between.’ There is nothing, I suppose, so 
obstinate as a high-tension magneto which is not tuned up. 
There appears to be nothing more satisfactory when the 
tuning has been done. 

“ The great thing to remember when dealing with a high- 
tension magneto is that cleanliness is indispensable. Any 
dirt upon the contacts is likely to be disastrous. In my 
experience the most fruitful source of trouble is at the 
platinum points; these will not deal with you as kindly 
as our old friends upon the simple ‘ make-and-break ’ which 
Darracq knew. Not only must the platinum points upon 


THE CARE OF THE ENGINE 


lor 

a high-tension magneto be absolutely clean, but they must 
be filed dead true one with the other. A point which is not 
quite flat will give a limited contact which seems ineffectual 
with a high-tension magneto. Nor is it enough to attend 
to your contact-breakers. Every brush that collects the 
current must be both clean and properly adjusted. It is 
the sum of these little things that makes the successful 
high-tension. 

“ Some of the difficulties I have hinted at undoubtedly are 
to be attributed to plugs. Those who are new to high-tension 
magneto overlook the fact that the points of your plug must 
be closer together than in the older ignition. Professionally 
they tell you that the correct distance is ’4 of a millimetre ; 
but if you can carry the distance of half a millimetre in your 
mind, it is good enough for a rule of thumb. A spark from 
a high-tension magneto is intensely hot, but it has not the 
bridging capacity of an accumulator spark. People who 
forget this will never start their cars easily. 

“ For my part I do not believe in any form of magneto 
ignition which is not accompanied by the reliable accumulator 
and coil. Low-tension, as fitted to Merc^d^s and other cars, 
has been upon the whole uncommonly successful; but even 
this is not always sufficient when the engine is quite cold. 
The great advantage of low-tension magneto is that you need 
not be so very particular about keeping it clean. It is better, 
of course, to keep it clean ; but a certain amount of soot and 
oil .seems to agree very well with its constitution and to work 
no mischief 

“In a twelvemonth’s experience of low-tension magneto 
I had but one failure of the soap-stone plugs ; but the tappets 
themselves were always giving trouble, and it was exceedingly 
difficult to synchronise the firing. This difficulty does not 
occur with some tappets, and the Merc^d^s people speak of little 
trouble under that head. Where very high-speed engines are 
concerned there can be no doubt whatever that the old plain 
‘ make-and-break ’ accumulator and coil ignition is without 
a rival. I have little doubt that the extraordinary efficiency 
of some of the earlier Darracq engines was largely due to the 


102 


THE AMATEUR MOTORIST 


simple ‘ make-and-break/ while Count De Dion has nothing 
but praise for it. At the same time it is most exasperating 
to run any risk of ignition troubles nowadays, and nearly 
every car with any claim upon us at all is fitted with 
two ignitions. 

“ The good old times, when we were hung up by the roadside, 
to the scorn of the horsey person and the delight of the small 
boy, owed much of their sadness to ignition. Those were the 
days when we fired our cars by tube and petrol. I can 
remember burning an excellent vehicle upon the St. Albans 
road to the immense pleasure of a variety of urchins and the 
satisfaction of the owner, who was tired of the business. 
You often had a fire under your bonnet in the old tube days, 
and perhaps were not sorry if the weather were sharp. Those 
were the times when we slept out under motor-cars, and rarely 
accepted an invitation to dinner that did not give us forty- 
eight hours to get there.” 


CHAPTER XIII 

THE CARE OF THE ENGINE—con/mued 

W E do not sleep under our cars nowadays, and the 
new habit is chiefly due to the fact that we have 
made a science of ignition. But great as our progression 
has been, I am inclined to think that finality is not yet. 
This high-tension ignition, of which all the world has been 
talking during the year 1907, may be victorious for the 
moment, but that triumph is to endure I beg leave to 
doubt. 

If it does endure, it will be largely owing to some such 
type of magneto as the D.4, of which Messrs. Simms-Bosch 
are making a speciality in these later days. They have 
realised wisely enough that there were starting difficulties 
with the older type ; they admit, perhaps, that electric 
ignition has, hitherto, been a necessary stand-by; and 
now as a consequence they offer us a magneto which must 
be the last word for the year 1907. 

This type is of a rotary armature order. If I had to 
explain it to a novice, I should tell him first the simple 
fact that if you magnetise a piece of iron and bend it in 
the shape of a horse-shoe, there is magnetic force passing 
between the two ends or poles of the contrivance. Now 
insert between these ends an H-shaped piece of soft iron, 
upon which you have wound a short length of thick and 
insulated wire, and a long length of thin and insulated wire. 
This would make an armature for us; and if we are able 
to mount it in suitable bearings between the horse-shoe 
magnets and there to revolve it so that it cuts the force 
passing from one pole to the other, then we can produce 
an electric current of great intensity. 

103 


104 the amateur motorist 

We have our current, then. But how are we going to 
lead it to our cylinders? The armature, you see, is revolving. 
You cannot take a wire straight from it to a- plug. No, 
but you can cause a carbon brush to press upon the spindle 
of the armature, and that will collect your current for you. 


LONGITUDINAL SECTION 


{^One-third actual size) 



1. Brass plate. 

2. Contact-breaker screw. 

3. Platinum screw block. 

4. Contact-breaker disc. 

5. Long platinum screw. 

6 . Contact-breaker spring. 

7. Contact-breaker lever. 

8 . Condenser. 

9. Slip ring. 


10. Carbon brush. 

11. Carbon holder. 

12. Connecting bridge. 

13. Contact carbon. 

14. Rotating distributor piece. 

15. Distributor carbon. 

16. Distributor disc. 

17. Metallic segments. 

18. Contact plug. 


19. Fibre roller. 

20. Timing lever. 

21. Dust cover. 

22. Cover. 

23. Triangular clamp. 

24. Nut for switch wire 

(short circuit). 

25. Spring for fastening 

brass cap. 


Type D .4 Simms-Bosch Magneto. 


This the makers do ingeniou-sly by such a brush and a 
brass ring, to which one of the wires is attached, catching 
the high-tension current in this way, but leading the low- 
tension current through a tube to the contact-breaker. The 
latter contrivance does for us exactly what our trembler 
blade upon the coil has been doing hitherto. It breaks 



























































THE CARE OF THE ENGINE 


105 


BACK VIEW 


the low-tension current and so causes a high-tension spark 
in the cylinders. It is quite a simple little contrivance, 
consisting of a rocking lever with a platinum point, another 
platinum point for this to rest upon, and a pair of cams to 
lift the lever each time the 
spark is necessary. For 
the rest there is a con¬ 
denser which consists of 
alternate layers of tinfoil 
and wax paper; but this 
is not for the novice. He 
may be content to know 
that the condenser acts as 
a kind of storehouse, open¬ 
ing the door to the current 
when it is checked at the 
contact-breaker, and giving 
it out again when contact 
is resumed. His chief 
concern must be with the 
platinum points themselves, 
with the cleanliness of the 
distributor, which delivers 
the current to the cylinders 
in their turn, and, above 
all, with the correct timing 
of the machine. 

The platinum points first, 
if you please. We must 
keep these filed dead true 
if we wish to get the 
best results from a Simms- 
Bosch magneto. Our coils 
will often run with the 

platinums sadly worn ; but do not hope for such luck 
when we are dealing with magneto ignition. There we 
must have an absolutely flat contact, everything must be 
true and clean. If this be so, but one trouble can arise in 



20 . Brass cap. 

27. Brass block for fastening spring of brass 

cap. 

28. Fixing bolt. 

29. Short platinum screw. 

30. Stop screw for timing lever. 

Showing: the Contact-breaking: Mechanism 
(Simms-Bosch Magneto). 
























io6 


THE AMATEUR MOTORIST 


this place, and that will be from the sticking of the lever 
on its bearing. This bearing is a delicate little affair, and 
until it was properly insulated it gave much trouble. Messrs. 
Simms-Bosch are keenly alive to this, and in their new 
patterns of the D.4 machine the trouble is not likely to recur. 
Indeed, this type has practically given no trouble at all ; 
and if the driver will but be careful to keep oil out of the 
distributor—which is our second point—to see that the brush 
is well home and the contacts true, the day will be rare when 
he will be held up. 

The machine has been made to drive at the same speed 
as the engine-shaft for no other purpose than ease in starting. 
It is Messrs. Simms-Bosch’s contention that with a D.4 and 
a well-kept engine there is no need whatever for an accu¬ 
mulator as a stand-by ; or that if there be, then it is the 
easiest thing in the world to adapt their own magneto to 
the double purpose, and so to wire it that an accumulator 
can be switched on at any moment. 

We summarise the magneto, then, by saying—keep the 
platinums flat and filed true, keep all oil out of the dis¬ 
tributor, put but a few drops of oil in the ball races, and 
this but once every three months, use Messrs. Simms-Bosch’s 
own plugs, and you are likely to have good results. 
These truths apply with but little emendation to other 
systems upon the market—the Eisemann, the Fuller, and 
many that have recently won attention. There is always a 
contact-breaker to be properly adjusted, carbon brushes to 
be kept in good contact, plugs to be well looked after. All 
this the amateur can do readily enough; what he will not 
be able to do, until he is master of the system, is to time 
his engine correctly. This I do not advise him to attempt 
until he has had considerable experience. On the other 
hand, there is this to be remembered, that some accident on 
the roadside might throw his magneto out of gear ; and if 
he could not then reconnect it correctly, he certainly would 
not go home in that particular car. So I am tempted to 
give a few plain directions for the timing, say, of this 
d. 4 type, and to leave it to the common sense of the 


THE CARE OF THE ENGINE . 107 

individual to apply the rule to whatever magneto he may 
be using. 

The magneto driving-gear has become disconnected, I say, 
and the man at the roadside has to start again. What has 
he first to do? Just this, to turn his crank-shaft round until 
the first of his four cylinders has its piston at the very top 
of the stroke. This he can discover by putting a piece of 
wire through the compression tap, or if not there, by un¬ 
screwing one of the valve-caps and getting at his piston 
that way. He will now look at his magneto, and turn the 



Armature revolving Clockwise. 



Armature revolving Anti-clockwise. 


high-tension distributor to the piece of brass marked No. i 
therein. At this point, the ignition lever being retarded, 
the edge of his armature should be exactly halfway across 
the opening between the magnets. One thing, however, he 
must by no means forget, and that is to ascertain at the 
outset which way his armature revolves. Is it clockwise 
or otherwise ? This he can tell in an instant from its position 
and the method by which it is driven. But when he has 
ascertained the fact, and has seen that the armature, the 
ignition being retarded, is halfway across the gap between 
the magnets, then he must go on turning that armature 
in its proper direction until the platinum points in the 



































io8 THE AMATEUR MOTORIST 

contact-breaker separate. This is the moment to couple 
everything up. He has now timed his first cylinder, and 
the time for the others is thereby established. 

The great thing to be sure of is that when he has No. i 
cylinder at the top he has the carbon upon No. i in the 
distributor case. If this be not so, - disaster must follow. 
The cylinders will fire out of order, or, more likely, probably 
they will not fire at all, because they will not be upon the 
firing stroke when the spark is made. 

I may note that Messrs. Simms-Bosch’s own instructions 
in this important matter are as follows: 

“ Having fixed the magneto to the motor the pinion is 
loose on the cone of the magneto spindle. Firstly remove the 
connecting bridge I2 also the dust cover 2i in order to 
control the position of the armature. 

“ Now turn the motor by hand until one of the pistons is 
at the end of the compression-stroke exactly on the dead 
centre. 

“ Then bring the armature of the magneto into position, as 
shown in the above sketches, clockwise or anti-clockwise, as 
the case may be, when viewed from the driving end of the 
magneto. The distance shown in the sketches marked ‘ e ’ 
should be in type ‘ D.3 ’ ii to 13 mm., in type‘D.4’ 14 to 
17 mm., in type ‘ D.6 ’ 21 to 27 mm. The above figures for 
engines with 130 mm. stroke give a range of advance of from 
10 to 15 mm. 

“ Having placed everything in position as above described, 
tighten the pinion on the spindle of the magneto. The 
greatest care must be taken not to alter the position of the 
armature while this is being done. 

“The connection to the sparking-plugs on the cylinders 
must be made in the following manner. After removing the 
triangular clamp 23 and cover 22, ascertain on which segment 
of the distributor the carbon brush 15 rests. Then connect 
the corresponding plug-terminal of the magneto to the 
sparking-plug of the cylinder in which the piston has been 
placed in position. 

“ The above sketches show the order in which the contacts 


THE CARE OF THE ENGINE 


109 

are made on the distributor to the different plug terminals of 
a 4-cylinder magneto. 

“ In the case of a 3 or 6-cylinder machine the order is 
similar. On type ‘ D.3 ’ instead of two terminals in the 
centre there is only one, whereas on a ‘ D,6 * between the 
two outside plug terminals an extra contact exists. 

“ Having placed the first piston into position corresponding 
to the segment of the distributor, on which the carbon brush 
rests, the remaining sparking-plugs should be connected up 
in the order in which the cylinders operate, but must follow 



consecutively the segments of the distributor according to 
direction of rotation. Finally replace dust cover and refix 
the connecting bridge.” 

This trick of timing is a most useful one for any owner 
of a car to master, and one he should make it his business to 
master at the earliest possible moment. I do not care what 
ignition you are driving upon, it is indispensable that you 
should be able to set it going when it may have been 
dismantled, from . whatever cause. Nowadays, with plain 
“ make-and-break ” accumulator and coils, the timing of the 
old type of electric ignition is simplicity itself. 



































110 


THE AMATEUR MOTORIST 


My own habit is to mark the number of my cylinders and 
the order of firing not only upon the coil, but upon the brass 
of the commutator itself. Thus, if anything goes wrong, I 
have but to turn on the contacts for any given cylinder and 
to watch what the corresponding coil is doing. Should the 
engine be dismantled, then it is sufficient, having got the 
piston of my first cylinder just about to descend, to mesh 
the secondary shaft with No. i contact as it is upon the 
point of making when fully retarded. 

To me, at any rate, the timing of a low-tension magneto is 
a more tricky business than any I have yet encountered. 
Here, as in the high-tension, it is the placing of the armature 
which is the difficulty. Get this right and all else follows 
as a matter of course. But it is astonishing how troublesome 
it is to get right sometimes, and what an alteration a single 
tooth of a wheel will make. Perhaps the happiest part of the 
whole affair is that we are so seldom called upon to time 
our ignition. The modern engine runs for many months 
without calling upon us to dismantle it. Should the timing 
wheels be removed, they are removed, I must suppose, by an 
expert who knows his business and who can replace them 
as he found them. Indeed, the best makers mark their wheels 
so that no mistakes shall be made. And when the fly-wheel 
is properly marked, the rest is child’s play. 

There are few drivers who can be relied upon to synchronise 
a low-tension magneto system at the first time of asking. 
The untrained ear knows that there is no rhythm in the 
firing, but is often unable to detect the offender; and practice 
alone is the road to cleverness. Were it not for this diffi¬ 
culty of synchronising the firing, low-tension ignition would, 
in my opinion, be beyond all question supreme. But the 
beginner makes a sad bungle of it sometimes when his 
tappets are troublesome and his ear is out of tune. 

In theory, of course, this low-tension ignition is simplicity 
itself. ' You have your little dynamo driven from the engine, 
you carry a wire from it to the switch and to your cylinder. 
As each wire enters the cylinder it is highly insulated, either 
by soap-stone or mica or by some other good non-conductor. 


THE CARE OF THE ENGINE 


111 

It terminates usually in a steel rod inside the cylinder, 
and here another short steel arm can be pressed upon or 
withdrawn from it as the rod from the cam-shaft below rises 
or falls. When this shorter arm is pressed upon the fixed 
arm the current is made ; when it is withdrawn from that 
fixed arm the current is broken, but the flame of it follows 
the retreating steel some little way and is hot enough to fire 
your charge. 

A moment’s reflection will show you why this simple 
process may not always give you a perfect rhythm when 
your engine is running. The rod which comes up from 
below may be longer or shorter in cylinder No. i, say, than in 
cylinder No. 2. You can adjust it ordinarily by a simple 
screw and a lock nut; but that adjustment must be helped 
by your ear, and unless your ear be true your firing will not 
respond. Here, again, our salvation lies in the fact that the 
best systems of low-tension ignition—the Mercedes, the Fiat, 
the Richard Brasier, the Beaufort—will run for many months 
and give us no trouble whatever. Equally good, perhaps, is 
the I tala, and the Weigel which has followed it. 

I know no one who marks the fly-wheels of his engine 
more carefully than Mr. Weigel. You have but to bring this 
wheel round to the index to know at once that any particular 
piston is at its firing point. Then by looking at the little 
cam which makes-and-breaks, you see in an instant if the 
adjustment be true, and what you must do to make it true. 

This is but an elementary sketch of ignition systems, I fear, 
nor can I hope to make it more in such a volume as this. 
Let me, however, say, before leaving the subject, that it is 
just possible that in the year 1908 we shall see the greatest 
revolution in the firing of our cylinders that has taken place 
since Messrs. Simms-Bosch first introduced their magneto 
to us. And again the invention comes from their famous 
house. 

They are now testing and showing a wonderful magnetic 
plug which will enable us to have a low-tension system upon 
our cars without either tappet rods or tappet difficulties. In 


II2 


THE AMATEUR MOTORIST 


other words, we shall have a low-tension magneto and a 
simple plug to do the rest. Admittedly, it is a weighty plug 
and of some substance ; but of the intensity of its spark there 
can be no question whatever. And although, at the time of 
writing, it has only been tried with success upon stationary 
engines, I do not doubt that it will soon be perfected, and 
bring with it a revolution as great as any we have known for 
many years. 


CHAPTER XIV 


CARBURETTORS 



ARBURETTORS are of many kinds—mostly indifferent. 


Years ago, as I have said elsewhere, we had but one 
carburettor and^ were in some ways more fortunate people. 
The original idea was of the self-help order. We under¬ 
stood that vapour of petrol was necessary to drive our 
engines, that we must smash this vapour up and add 
air to it. So we just fitted our motor-bicycles with a square 
tank, fixed a float above the level of the petrol to do the 
smashing, and added the air at our will and pleasure by 
the aid of a small tap in front of our saddle. 

This old contrivance gave capital results. If we had quick 
ears, we knew at once whether the engine was giving the 
correct explosive sound. When it failed to do so we began 
to manipulate the taps until the explosions satisfied us. The 
thing was called a surface carburettor, and was abandoned 
with reluctance. I hear to-day that more than one great firm 
is contemplating its reintroduction in a modified form, while 
undoubtedly the surface principle has been of considerable 
use to Mr. Lanchester. 

Notwithstanding its merits, I am perfectly willing to admit 
that the old surface carburettor in its ancient form was quite 
impossible upon a modern car. It was too clumsy, it required 
too much space ; it needed too frequent attention to its taps. 
People began to perceive after a time that the flow of petrol 
must be regulated to a greater nicety, the vaporisation made 
more sure, and, if possible, the mixture of air performed 
automatically. So at once we had the carburettor of the float- 
feed type. 

This consisted and consists of a float-feed chamber—a cup, 


8 


THE AMATEUR MOTORIST 


114 

in other words, at the foot of which there is a cone-shaped 
orifice. The interior of this cup is practically filled by the 
petrol and the float which regulates the level of the spirit. 
This float, as all the world knows—even the novice—is just 
a hollow cylinder with a thin brass rod through its centre, the 
end of the rod being also cone-shaped that it may fit into the 
aperture at the foot of the chamber. Obviously when petrol 
enters our cup it raises this float, which, in turn, acts upon the 
rod through its centre, closing the aperture when the cup 



is full and opening it when the cup is empty. This it is helped 
to do by two short arms attached to the centre rod and capable 
of being depressed or raised as the float moves. The con¬ 
trivance is simplicity itself; a moment's examination of it will 
make it clear even to the unenlightened. 

We have now got our petrol into a cup and must pass 
it from that cup into a second chamber, where it will be 
vaporised. To do this we have a tiny passage from the float- 
feed chamber into a second cup ; and this passage terminates 
in a fine jet fixed in an upright position in the centre of the 



















































CARBURETTORS 


115 

second compartment. Through this jet petrol is sucked by 
the pistons of our engine. It is drawn through in a very fine 
stream as we can see, and is often, thereafter, broken up and 
sprayed by a light cone of brass or other metal fixed exactly 
above the jet. This gives us, of course, nothing but the 
vapour of petrol ; we have, therefore, to add air to it in 
varying quantities as the needs of the engine go. To this 
end we make an opening in our second chamber through 
which hot air can be admitted into the carburettor in fixed 
quantities ; that is to say, this primary opening supplies the 
necessary minimum of air for our explosions at starting ; but 
when the engine is running very fast we want a great deal 
more air, and this we get from a second aperture which is 
opened or closed by a light piston, as the need may be. 

Here is a great principle, and one to which the later-day 
motorist owes very much. We first heard of it in the famous 
Krebs Carburettor, probably as fine a carburettor in its day as 
ever was put upon the market. In the Krebs Carburettor 
a clever designer got at the root of the matter at once. 
Having provided his carburettor with the fixed air supply, 
he next contributed a further chamber by which added air 
could be introduced through the instrumentality of a very 
light piston and a metal-and-rubber diaphragm. This light 
piston was naturally drawn down to the engine when suction 
became considerable. Being attached, however, to the rubber- 
and-metal diaphragm it needed some considerable pressure 
to depress it; and upon the suction ceasing the rubber 
instantly took it back to its original position. When it was 
depressed it opened additional air ports in the side of the 
chamber, and through these air was sucked into the cylinder 
just in the proportion of the engine’s need. Here we have 
the whole story of the automatic carburettor—in many ways, 
as it would seem, almost the final story. 

I am not pretending, of course, that any automatic car¬ 
burettor is at present a perfect instrument. I do not believe 
that it can be so. Recall the story of the old surface tank and 
the constant manipulation of the taps we had to make to 
procure a true explosion. It is incredible to believe that any 


Ii6 


THE AMATEUR MOTORIST 


carburettor, however clever its design, can infallibly respond 
to the atmospheric changes as we meet with them upon the 
high road. We know that in the old days it was often 
necessary to give a different position to the taps at the top 
of the hill and in the valley below. These instantaneous 
changes are beyond any automatic carburettor yet designed ; 
nor does it seem possible to believe that they will ever 
be within its capacity. At the same time the automatic 
carburettor is unquestionably the only one which at present 
is possible upon our cars, and with its deficiencies, therefore, 
we have to deal. 

Many varieties of this automatic carburettor now tempt us. 
The moving pistons, giving us extra air, are of every kind 
and variety, controlled by scores of devices, and exploited by 
every kind of extravagant claims. In some engines the 
carburettor has undoubtedly been carried to a great state of 
perfection—notably in the new Mercedes and the famous 
Zenia—but I repeat that the principle of them all is the 
same, and that when once the amateur has mastered it he 
should also be the master of his carburettor. 

It would be a nice study, I think, to ascertain what pro¬ 
portion of our troubles is due to the carburettor, and what 
to ignition. While not claiming absolute immunity from 
road stops by other agencies, I will yet maintain that 95 
per cent., at least, of our difficulties are due either to one 
of these cau.ses or the other. We may, it is true, break a 
valve spring, smash a differential, strip a gear wheel, or even 
fracture a crank-shaft; but, accident apart, these things 
happen so rarely that the modern driver is sometimes almost 
incredulous as to their possibility. He knows, and he rightly 
knows, that when his engine stops it is ninety chances to one 
that either his ignition is at fault, or his carburettor. And so, 
as I have said, he will make a practice of turning first to the 
one and then to the other. Let us now follow him when he 
has located his trouble in the carburettor, and is seeking to 
remedy it. 

The engine, we will suppose, is misfiring badly—perhaps it 
is even firing back into the carburettor. Our amateur—not 



Photo by ( antpbell-Gi ay. 

A late Spyker Model. 



Photo by Campbell- Gray. 


The i£-h.p. Mors Chassis, 












I 

• » 


4 


. I 







« 



CARBURETTORS 


117 


troubling himself for the moment about the possibility of 
weak inlet springs—will at once see that he is not getting 
enough petrol, or that he is getting too much air. If he 
have an automatic carburettor of the common piston type, 
let him make sure, firstly, that the piston itself is not 
stuck up or stuck down, as the case may be. Obviously, 
if it is stuck down, and a large quantity of unnecessary air 
is being pumped to the cylinder, he will be getting a weak 
mixture, and consequently a back-fire into his carburettor. 
Should this not be checked, the carburettor may catch fire, 
the car be burnt, and the insurance companies made unhappy. 
Let us not contemplate such an infamy as the reflection of 
unhappiness upon insurance companies, but at once take 
down the offending instrument and see what we can make 
of it. 

Is the piston stuck ? Remember that it is not infallible, 
this delicate little contrivance: that it may not be closing 
the air-port properly, or may even have become detached 
from its diaphragm. Let our amateur see that it is working 
freely, watch it at work, and if it prove recalcitrant, take it 
out and clean it. A child could do the job, and it need 
not trouble the novice; but should he find that it is all right, 
what then ? I will tell him in a very few words. His 
trouble may be one of four or five. For instance: 

(1) If the petrol is forced from the tank by pressure-feed 
the pressure-valve may be blocked by grit or dirt. 

(2) The main petrol pipe may be blocked by grit or dirt. 

(3) The float may be leaking, and have petrol inside it, 
thus forbidding it to rise. 

(4) The needle-valve itself may be bent—thus flooding 
the carburettor and stopping the engine. 

(5) There may be a speck of grit in the jet, and no petrol 
coming through. 

Now, some of these are troublesome things, and they need a 
little practice to deal with. Commonly, on a modern engine, 
when the petrol fails, the pressure in the petrol tank also has 
failed, and it is absurd to go bothering about your carburettor 
until you are sure that this pressure is restored. I have seen 


ii8 


THE AMATEUR MOTORIST 


men in a state of terrible distress, their hands and face black 
with oil, portions of the carburettor all over the street, and 
nothing the matter after all but a little grit in the pressure- 
valve. So I say, having first of all ascertained that there is 
plenty of petrol in your tank, then take your pressure-pump 
and do a little hardy pumping before you think of the car¬ 
burettor at all. If your pressure-gauge on the dash-board 
shows no result, pump though you will, you have immediately 
located your trouble, and the rest is easy. Look under your 
bonnet for the pressure-valve, take it down—which you can 
do in two minutes—and thoroughly clean it out; you will be 
on the road again in ten minutes, glad to think you are a 
master of diagnosis. 

It is needless to say that this paragraph does not apply to 
a large number of cars now on the market. These are fed 
by what is known as gravity feed ; that is to say, there is a 
petrol tank at a higher level than the carburettor—a tank 
fixed either under the front seat or in the dash. In this 
case, when no petrol is coming to the carburettor, the pipe 
undoubtedly is blocked or the tap is not turned on. A man 
does not feel pleased with himself when he has ground the 
handle of his motor for twenty minutes, and subsequently 
discovered that his petrol is turned off. But having made 
sure both of the petrol itself and of the tap, then deal with 
the pipe. It is not a bad plan if you are hung up by the 
roadside to force air through the length of pipe itself by the 
aid of your pump. If you can detect the offending length, 
or even pump air into the tank, you may blow out the grit 
and proceed upon your way rejoicing. Failing this, there is 
nothing for it but a length of fine wire and as careful a 
surgical operation as you can make. Had you been wise 
enough to carry a Bowden filter, all this, remember, would 
not have happened—the filter would have caught the grit 
and held it; it would also have accounted for any water in 
your petrol, and thus give you a double chance. For this 
reason I am a staunch advocate of the Bowden filter, and know 
no more useful appurtenance that can be fixed to any car. 

Let us pass on to other troubles that are possible. I am 


CARBURETTORS 


ng 


not over-confident that our amateur will be able to deal with 
his float should anything go wrong there. It needs consider¬ 
able skill to handle this float with success, and unhappy is 
the man who puts it into the hands of the motor butcher. 
This fellow will find the leak all right, and he will mend 
it with great blobs of solder, worthy of his leg-of-mutton 
hands, and as ppwerful in their results. Remember that it 
is the purpose of this float to keep a perfect level of petrol 
at the jet. It is so weighted by the makers that if you peer 
into the jet chamber when the car is at rest you will see a 
tear of petrol, some tenth of an inch below the top of the jet 
itself. Imagine what happens, then, when the weight of the 
float is altered by blobs of solder, Down goes the level of 
your petrol in the jet, the engine gets little of it out—woe and 
perplexity follow in your wake. 

So we come to see that if we have a leak in our float 
chamber we need a first-rate man in our trouble. If we 
are not sure whether there be a leak or no, it is a good 
practice to put the float into hot water, and to watch it for 
emerging bubbles. These bubbles certainly will emerge if 
the float be not sound. And when we have located the 
place whence they come, there can be nothing easier than 
to drop just a single spot of solder in the offending hole. 
So, too, if we discover that our float is sound, but that 
the level of our petrol is wrong, then we must look at the 
delicate needle valve itself Make sure that the spindle of 
it is straight, or that the cone does not need grinding in. 
Let us be careful, however, not to tinker with this grinding 
unless we are sure that it is necessary. Infinite mischief 
may be Hone by seating the valve too deeply, and we may 
come ultimately to require a new spindle. 

The jet itself is easily cleaned. A sharp puff of wind 
through it will remove ordinary grit; but obstinate grit is 
best removed by the finest wire obtainable. Do not forget 
that you must not alter the bore of this jet under any 
circumstances whatsoever—that is, while you are an amateur 
and have no proper knowledge which can lead you to alter 
it Afterwards, should you become a carburettor expert and 


120 


THE AMATEUR MOTORIST 


desire to improve the running of your engine, you may experi¬ 
ment with many cones and many jets until you find two that 
give you in combination the desired results. But in the early 
stages, at any rate, trust to your makers and their adjustments. 



GAS OUTLET 


AIR INLFt 


A. Float Chamber. 

B. Mixing Chamber. 

C. Cone. 

D. Jet. 

E. Piston. 


F. Throttle Valve. 

G. Drain Plug. 

H. Openings in Piston. 

I. Indicator Rod. 


The Rover Automatic Carburettor. 


Do not force a hard and thick wire through your jet, but 
clean it with all imaginable care, and with every regard to 
the existing diameter of its bore. 

I say that in time you may become a carburettor expert. 
Possibly the makers themselves will drive you to that. 









































































CARBURETTORS 


I2I 


There have been some shockingly bad carburettors put on 
the market this last year or two. There are even famous 
cars—I will spare you their names—whose carburettors are 
so inefficient that we hear of results no better than six or 
seven miles to the gallon of petrol. This, of course, is 
altogether preposterous. I am not one of those who believe 
that you can run a car of great horse-power upon little 
petrol. I do not believe anything of the kind. The man 
who gets ten or eleven miles to the gallon on a 40-h.p. 
car is doing well enough; but a 20-h.p. car should give 
you at least eighteen miles to the gallon, and more properly 



twenty. The makers can do it; we know that they can 
do it because they have done it in the Tourist Trophy and 
other races. But they will not do it ordinarily, because they 
are not at the pains to adjust their carburettors or really 
to design them to the needs of the engine. 

In this case your own experiments may well begin. My 
own began a year ago upon a 20-h.p. car that showed the 
disastrous results of seven miles to the gallon. Here there 
was no proper carburettor at all—merely a number of air 
holes which opened as the petrol supply opened. The 
slow running of the engine was obtained not by adjustment 
of the mixture, but by pouring* pure petrol into the cylinder 









122 


THE AMATEUR MOTORIST 


and there half burning it. Need I say what annoyance 
followed this practice ? Passers-by gave audible and visible 
signs of their disapproval. The odorous reputation of the 
car went far upon the stilly air. In vain I tried to deal 
with it. Carburettor experts came up—in cabs—and shook 
their heads and held their noses. “ It ought to be easy 
enough,” they said as one man ; and then they began to 
tinker with it. I fitted this carburettor and that, and still 
the results were hopeless. We put all the patent valves— 
but one—in the induction pipe, and tilted our nostrils as 
before. 

Then came the day when I heard of the Gillett-Lehmann 
Carburettor Controller—a delightful little contrivance which 
controlled the supply of petrol both in the float-feed chamber 
and at the jet, and gave me instant peace. I can do no better 
then most cordially recommend the name of this firm to those 
in difficulties with carburettors. They are experts of singular 
success, and, as the times go, of much modesty. 

Perhaps the golden rule to remember when dealing with 
all carburettors is this, that nine-tenths of them give us too 
much petrol and too little air. We need a considerable 
quantity of air at high speeds, and we need to control it 
ourselves. Even the common air-valve fitted to the induction 
pipe will often work miracles, although the carburettor itself 
be one of the most belauded on the market. Buy such a 
valve, if you have carburettor troubles, and control it from 
the dashboard ; give the engine all the air she will take, 
cut the petrol supply down in the jet until you are getting 
but a minimum. But, as I say, your best plan is to consult 
carburettor experts such as Messrs. Gillett & Lehmann, and 
to put yourself into their hands. They will figure largely 
in my next chapter. I am about to ask them to speak for 
themselves. 


CHAPTER XV 


THE SCIENCE OF CARBURATION 



HERE are few motor engineers of our time who do not 


X realise the deficiencies of the majority of the car¬ 
burettors now upon the market. Everywhere one hears of 
advance in this vital matter. “ Give us a perfect carburettor,” 
we say, “ and we will add twenty, thirty, fifty per cent, to the 
efficiency of the modern engine.” Among these workers the 
names of Messrs. Gillett & Lehmann stand prominent, as I 
have said. They have studied the science of carburation, and 
to no small profit. Their “controller” was a success from 
the first day of its introduction to our market. When it was 
announced that they were about to give us a new carburettor, 
interest naturally ran high. The carburettor is now before 
us, and invites the critical judgment. I feel that I cannot 
do better than to let Mr. Gillett speak for it himself, and, while 
speaking, to share with us some of those deeper studies of 
carburation upon which he has been engaged these many 
months. 

And first he speaks of the internal combustion engine itself. 

As in the case of other inventions, the internal combustion 
motor has been gradually perfected and made efficient by the 
consistent adoption of improvements. The discovery which 
did most for us, perhaps, was the one which taught us that the 
efficiency of the engine as compared with the size of the 
cylinder could be enormously improved by compressing 
the firing mixture at the moment of firing; this process 
also making it possible to use much less fuel for the power 
developed. 

The extremes might be exemplified by such an early type 


123 


124 


THE AMATEUR MOTORIST 


of engine as the Bischoff, in which the charge was slightly 
under atmospheric pressure at the moment of firing, and by 
the present Diesel, which fires while under a compression 
of about 800 lb. 

The Bischoff required 60 to 100 feet of gas per h.p.h., 
while the Diesel requires infinitely less fuel, probably only 
one-tenth of that amount per h.p.h. The present high 
efficiency gas engine takes about 15 to 20 feet. 

In any motor engine at present made the compression 
space and length. of stroke remain the same, no matter 
what work—up to its limits—it is called upon to do. The 
intake of the charge determines the amount of the com¬ 
pression, and, this amount being varied by the throttle lever, 
it may be said that the efficiency of the auto-engine varies 
between that of the early non-compression engine and that 
of the late high-compression engine—this variation taking 
place according to the load at any time. Hence, the greater 
the load per stroke the greater the economy and efficiency, 
and one mile of crawling in traffic consumes as much fuel as 
three miles of “give-and-take” road travelled at a good 
pace. 

One signal advantage the modern motor engine has over 
its predecessors is that of the variable time of firing, since 
a weak mixture fired early will give as great an output of 
power as a richer mixture fired later, although this can only 
be done while speed is kept up and the fly-wheel possesses 
the required momentum. 

Now, before considering the actual proportions of the 
mixture of air and gas in our compression chamber, or the 
method of and reason for obtaining the same, we shall do 
well to study the actual movements and pressures of the 
air in the jet chamber under the varying requirements of 
the cylinders. In order more fully to grasp the subject, 
the atmosphere may be considered as composed of closely 
packed but extremely elastic spheres, which possess the 
power of infinite expansion, both individually and collectively. 

When the engine is running, a stream of these particles is 
caused to flow towards the inlet valves through the car- 


THE SCIENCE OF CARBURATION 


125 

burettor, induction pipe and valves as the piston recedes ; 
by, firstly, individual expansion of the particles, this ex¬ 
pansion taking place more rapidly as the surface of piston is 
approached ; and secondly, by pressure of the atmosphere 
outside the carburettor, each layer, as it were, of air being 
forced forward by its immediate follower, but each layer 
expanding as it goes towards the cylinder, so accommodating 
itself to the pressures existing both ahead of it and behind 
it. In this condition the particles cannot be considered as 
spheres, but rather as egg-shaped bodies of which the larger 
end is inward, and the sectional areas gradually increasing 
from choke-tube or inlet to piston-head. 

It is thus seen that upon the inlet valve closing, the stream 
through the carburettor does not stop until the particles in 
the induction pipe are again squeezed up into their original 
size and shape by the atmosphere entering at the choke 
tube ; and in multiple-cylinder engines this stoppage never 
occurs, as valves open in succession too quickly to allow 
of atmospheric condition being reached, and particles are 
always larger than they were before entering. This is 
merely another way of saying that pressure is lower, since, 
by Boyle’s law, the volume of gas is in inverse ratio to the 
pressure. 

In the multiple-cylinder engine, then, we have an induction 
pipe in which the air pressure, while being always at any point 
below atmospheric pressure, is in itself lowered and raised 
alternately upon each opening and closing of the valve—the 
mean of all the pressures being that which we can use for 
purposes of fuel feed. 

In the single-cylinder engine, and to a lesser extent in a two- 
cylinder engine, and more especially one in which the firing 
strokes immediately follow each other, it will be seen that very 
unequal calls are made upon the air supply and that more 
time is allowed between the intake strokes for the air to enter 
and be compressed to atmospheric pressure, more especially 
at slow speeds. Furthermore, the air, having weight, and 
therefore momentum, does not stop flowing immediately on 
reaching atmospheric pressure, but is carried past this stage 


126 


THE AMATEUR MOTORIST 


to a higher pressure still near the inlet valve (which is still 
shut), against which it rebounds, the last-entering air being 
forced out again, carrying out with it part of the fuel with 
which it is now charged ; also blowing down the jet tube and 
thus causing oscillation of petrol. 

These deductions prove that in order to prevent blowing 
back we must provide a choke tube or retarding effect between 
the outer atmosphere and the jet, this effect being sufficiently 
small to ensure that the air is always travelling past the jet in 
one direction only, although, of course, at constantly varying 
speeds. Then, again, as to the effect of throttling. By 
placing a throttle valve in the induction pipe we are enabled 
at will to establish a greater or lesser resistance in the path 
of the surging air particles. It might be regarded as a 
second choke tube with variable proportions which dams 
back the incoming air at will, causing opposite effects in the 
two portions of pipe—the pressure between the choke tube 
and the throttle rising nearer to atmospheric pressure whilst 
the other portion falls in pressure, since the engine is asking 
for more air than it can obtain through the throttle in a 
given time. 

Now, as a certain output of power requires a certain 
expenditure of fuel, of which we are at present considering 
only the atmospheric part, the effect is to produce less power 
in the engine ; or, regarding the effect upon the fly-wheel 
—since speed and power are in inverse ratio—less speed. 

Here we may notice that since pressure rises behind the 
throttle a closer aperture is necessary, since greater pressure 
implies greater flow. Again, time is an important factor. 
When the piston is travelling slowly, more time is allowed for 
intake, and the throttle must be closed to such a point that 
the amount of fuel is exactly proportioned to the required 
power. It is important to bear this time factor in mind, as 
evenness of running is greatly due to a right understanding 
of it. The engine takes more air stroke for stroke while 
gradually falling in speed at any given position of the throttle, 
and less air stroke for stroke while gaining under the same 
conditions. 



The 40-h.p. Weigel Chassis. 









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THE SCIENCE OF CARBURATION 


127 


The damming action exerted by the throttle can only take 
place while the effective opening of the throttle is less than 
the effective area of the inlet. When the throttle area is equal 
to, or greater than, the inlet, further opening movement of the 
throttle lever produces no effect on the volume supplied to the 
engine, while if the choke tube be not large enough to provide 
sufficient air to the engine (viz. capacity x time x pressure of 
atmosphere up to the limits provided by the clearance of 
exhaust, the engine cannot exert its full power. 

The proportion of fuel to air supply needs careful con¬ 
sideration if we are to obtain efficiency. 

In any engine producing constant power with constant 
revolutions a certain weight of air—or volume at atmospheric 
pressure—will be consumed in a given time, and it is an ea.sy 
matter to supply the correct quantity of liquid fuel—the only 
alteration required being that necessitated by changes in the 
atmospheric conditions, great economy being reached in 
consumption. 

But in propelling a vehicle on the road many difficulties 
present themselves. The amount of power required is 
constantly changing, the engine speed constantly falling and 
rising ; and the fuel supply becomes a very difficult problem. 
Under these changing conditions we have to supply differing 
proportions of fuel. 

First, as the consumption of air per stroke decreases, that 
of petrol must be increased, since less air means less com¬ 
pression and lower compression requires more fuel. Un¬ 
fortunately, this necessity brings us at once to a further 
difficulty. The engine may be running slowly or quickly 
while doing very little work and having low compression. A 
rich mixture expands or explodes very much more quickly, 
but also dies away more quickly, than a poorer mixture. Thus 
a rich mixture is necessary while the engine runs fast at a low 
compression, but at low speeds with the same mixture the 
explosion is too rapid, delivering a blow to the sluggish piston 
and either dying away before doing effective work producing 
heat without energy, or accelerating the engine too much. 
Fortunately, by still further enriching the mixture, the 



128 


THE AMATEUR MOTORIST 


rapidity of expansion again is checked and the engine can be 
made to run slowly at low compression, but at great sacrifice 
of economy in fuel and consequent incomplete combustion. 

Thus the carburettor must supply a differing mixture at 
the same compression, more petrol at low speed and less 
at high, and this independently of the power developed. 

When the engine runs slowly at a low compression, the air 
also passes the jet slowly and there is little variation of the 
pressure in the jet chamber, with a consequent small discharge 
of petrol ; but running fast at the same low compression more 
charges are taken in during a given time, and greater reduction 
of pressure occurs in the jet-chamber, the quantity of petrol 
being thus increased. 

The carburettor must provide for this contradiction, and 
often does provide for it, but incorrectly, by so proportioning 
the size of jet to choke that ample petrol is supplied 
at low speed, while at high speed too much is provided ; and 
herein lies the secret of the wasteful as against the economical 
carburettor. It is often the case that a motor runs for miles 
at high speed while using low compression, wasting fuel all 
the time. 

Incidentally the argument proves the economy of using the 
highest possible gearing, whereby we obtain the highest 
compression with the lowest consumption. 

This law is apparent throughout the whole range of engine- 
speeds and loads, viz. less compression, more petrol. 

By compression is meant the volume of air at atmospheric 
pressure actually taken into the cylinder and compressed 
at each stroke. A charge which is too weak to fire at low 
compression may fire if more highly compressed. 

A very great deal of economy is obtained by correctly 
timing the firing point. The power developed in the engines 
is due to the expansion of the contents of the cylinder, which 
consists partly of combustible matter and partly of incom¬ 
bustible. The latter, being expanded by heat caused during 
the chemical combination of the former, helps very considerably 
in the development of energy. 

A weak mixture contains more inactive material than a rich 


THE SCIENCE OF CARBURATION 


129 


one, and requires more time to reach a maximum expansion ; 
the time of firing therefore should be advanced. The 
maximum is reached at a point when the piston receives 
a push in the direction of working, as opposed to a sudden 
blow at a moment when, owing to overload, it is unable 
to respond quickly enough. 

A rich mixture explodes more rapidly, and a shorter 
time is required for combustion. The point of firing therefore 
should be later. 

At times of heavy load, as in hill-climbing on high gear, 
full compression and rich mixture are usually given ; and since 
the piston gradually accelerates from the dead centre, the 
firing point must be retarded until the piston is travelling 
fast enough to receive the explosion without shock—or our 
familiar friend the engine-knock appears. 

In the Gillett-Lehmann system of controlling the fuel-feed, 
connections are made with the float-chamber in three direc¬ 
tions : firstly with the external air, secondly with the induction 
pipe above the throttle, and thirdly with the jet chamber. 
Thus, while the air is passing into the float chamber from the 
atmosphere, it is being constantly removed into two parts 
of the induction pipe, pressures in these two parts varying 
in opposite directions. When the throttle opens, the variation 
of the pressures is slight; when the throttle is closed it is 
considerable. 

An internal combustion engine, so far as its intake stroke 
is concerned, is nothing more or less than an air-pump, with 
the difference that while an air-pump removes air from a 
pressure which decreases steadily as the pump works, the 
engine draws from a constant atmospheric pressure; and 
were no variation in throttling to take place, each intake 
stroke would measure the same weight of air. This being 
combined with a proportionate weight of fuel would give 
a constant power output, subject only to the engine speed 
being maintained at a constant value, and, since speed will be 
governed by load, at a constant load. 

Now, in driving a motor-car, these fixed conditions are 
impossible; variations in engine speed take place constantly, 

9 


130 


THE AMATEUR MOTORIST 


either owing to change of road gradient or movements of the 
throttle lever. Load varies in relation to road, incline, surface 
and wind pressures. Weight of air and fuel varies with all 
these differences. 

These changing conditions, whether voluntary or involun¬ 
tary, must so affect the fuel supply that its measure must 
be absolutely automatic. Not only must the fuel be changed 
in proportion to the air, but differing proportions must be 
made to suit changing conditions in speed, if due regard 
is to be paid both to efficiency and economy. 

Generally it may be taken that a richer mixture is required 



when the engine begins to accelerate than when such accelera¬ 
tion has taken place, and vice versa. These changes of speed, 
it must be understood, may begin from any given number of 
revolutions to any other number. 

In the usual jet carburettor the atmosphere presses on the 
surface of the petrol in the float chamber and ejects liquid 
fuel from the jet exactly in proportion to the area of the jet 
orifice and the difference of pressures between the float 
chamber and the jet chamber—the term “suction of jet” 
being the usual way of expressing this. 

It is evident that were no atmosphere allowed to enter 
the float chamber, and the spaces above the petrol and jet 


























THE SCIENCE OF CARBURATION 


131 

chambers were connected, then the pressures would coincide, 
in which case no petrol would be injected at all; therefore, 
some excess of pressure must be allowed in the float chamber. 

With the throttle at any position, should the engine 
accelerate, more charges are taken in a given time and the 
pressure in the jet chamber falls in proportion, while the 
pressure in the float chamber remains as before, the greater 
difference between the pressures giving more petrol, whereas 
less is required. 

In order to overcome this obvious defect the Gillett- 
Lehmann Controller was invented. This communicates the 
rising pressure below the throttle combined with falling 
pressure above the throttle in such proportions that the 
desired effect is obtained in the float chamber. 

While the greatest possible drop in pressure in the jet 
chamber is, in a well-made carburettor, no more than is 
necessary to allow of sufficient fuel-feed, for which purpose 
some depression must occur, the pressures above the throttle 
will vary from those below the throttle to some few pounds 
only above zero—in approximate figures, below the throttle 
from 147 to I4’3 lb. per square inch, and above the throttle 
from 14*3 to 9 lb. absolute per square inch. 

Neither of these could be used successfully by itself, but 
when combined in proper proportions they give the required 
influence in a manner which has been attained by no other 
method, and withal so simply that it seems difficult to imagine 
anything better. 


CHAPTER XVI 


GOING AFT TO THE PROPELLER 

W E have done a good deal for our engine when we 
have made sure of ignition and carburation. These, 
with rare exceptions, will be responsible for a running car, and 
one running with some satisfaction. And while it is so running 
we may well, as it were, take a general walk round and see 
what remains to be done. 

We have already filled our radiator and completed our 
lubrication. Any radiator troubles that may pester us will 
not possibly be immediately apparent. Should the engine 
begin to over-heat, we shall discover the fact later on when we 
have driven twenty or thirty miles or so, and our passengers 
begin to sniff the morning air. The odour of burnt oil is a 
warning, consequently, of no unimportant character. Should 
we detect it, we shall know that our pump is not running, that 
our radiator is leaking, or that our fan has ceased to revolve. 
The fan being the usual readiest delinquent, it is sufficient 
to point out that the belt of the fan is probably at fault and 
that it is slipping. On many cars there is an eccentric now 
fitted by which this belt can be tightened in an instant. 
Failing some mechanical means of adjustment, the belt itself 
must be shortened just as the belt upon a motor-cycle is 
shortened—by cutting a length from it and riveting it again. 
This is not a difficult affair; but I will say at once that if our 
novice have a leak in his radiator or if the spindle of his 
pump be broken, he must hie him immediately to the shops 
and there get relief 

The repairing of a radiator is a most tricky and intricate 
business. Indeed, it is said that when once a radiator has 
begun to leak it will always leak and that there is no lasting 

132 


GOING AFT TO THE PROPELLER 


133 


cure for the misfortune but the obvious one of buying a 
substitute. I do not myself quite share this extreme view. 
A clever mechanic will often make a good job even of a 
wicked radiator; while the novice himself, should he be 
provided, as he ought to be, by the makers with a temporary 
repairing outfit, can often stop even a bad leak on the 
roadside. 

There are other troubles in the water system ; but these 
are often of our own contriving. Remember that it is vitally 
necessary to see that you have not an air-lock in your pipes. 
This is often detected with difficulty; but you can surely 
detect it if, having first drained every drop of water from 
the cylinders, you fill your tank again with the draw-off cock 
open. There is always a little tap at the bottom of the 
water cistern by which the tank can be emptied. If we fill 
up with this tap open and do not close it until the water 
begins to run from it, we shall know that an air-lock is not 
the trouble and that we must look elsewhere. 

Happily for our comfort these are rare occurrences. The 
average driver upon a good modern car rarely knows 
anything of serious troubles. He may have to pack a 
joint occasionally with an asbestos washer, to attend to a 
leaking union here or an obstinate tap there; but the 
business is almost always to be done at home, when there 
is leisure and inclination. In an ordinary way, when he has 
filled his tank and seen that his belt and pump are running, 
he may quit his engine and begin to think about his trans¬ 
mission. 

Clutches are of many orders nowadays, and their ailments 
are not a few. For my part, I shall not hesitate to say that 
despite all that has been done, and is being done, in the 
exploitation of metal-to-metal clutches I remain an out-and- 
out advocate of the old leather-faced variety. Possibly, 
if the truth could be known, nine-tenths of the manufacturers 
join with me in this confidence. It is true that a man must 
be a skilful driver to get the best out of a leather-faced 
clutch ; but should he become the master of it, he will never 
be really happy with any other. 


134 


THE AMATEUR MOTORIST 


How simple a thing that old leather cone clutch was! 
How delightfully responsive to a clever foot—how reliable! 
Now and then, be sure, we had to give it a little fatherly 
attention. We washed it occasionally with paraffin and then 
applied a dressing of castor oil. Sometimes, if we were a bit 
cracked, we listened to other madmen and tried all sorts 
of remedies to prevent it slipping—even applying resin as 
a last desperate remedy. I remember a man in my own 
neighbourhood who treated a leather-faced clutch with resin 
according to the directions, and was engaged with a' heavy 
chisel for three days afterwards trying to separate the 
concave from the convex. 

All, in this case, that was wanted was a new leather, and 
a properly fitted leather. Here I admit some shameful jobs 
were perpetrated by maladroit workmen. Clutch out of 
alignment, leathers at the wrong angle, ill-fitted rivets—all 
these annoyed us. But I say again, that given a sufficient 
breadth of leather and a good workman this ancient clutch 
has had no rival. 

Should our novice be the possessor of a car fitted in this 
old-fashioned manner, I cordially recommend him to give his 
clutch a little kindly and wise attention. Let him wash 
it with paraffin whenever there is grease upon it, treating it 
afterwards with a little castor oil placed upon the broad 
blade of an ancient knife and so well worked into the leather. 
He will be-careful to oil or grease the shafts about it every 
day, and directly his clutch begins to slip with him he will 
ask himself in what condition the leather is and whether a 
new one be not necessary. Carefully looked to in this way 
a driver almost forgets that he has a clutch when he is upon 
the road. 

It is otherwise, I fear, with some of the metal-to-metal 
varieties. I shall never forget the astonishment of an old 
motoring friend of mine when first he drove a 40*h.p. 
Mercedes through the city of London and emerged therefrom 
with a white-hot clutch. He had driven a Panhard until 
that date ; he did not understand with what care the oil-feed 
to a Mercedes clutch must be regulated ; and this was the 



Photo by Catupbell-Grav. 

The De Dion Rear Axle. 



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GOING AFT TO THE PROPELLER 


135 


penalty. Forty drops a minute they had told him at 
Cannstadt. I do not suppose he had leisure to count them 
when he was negotiating the traffic by the Bank. 

The latest practice in the matter of our clutch is that of the 
Hele-Shaw in its many phases. The principle is not really 
complicated. You have your engine-shaft carrying a number 
of thin steel plates which, by the aid of a spring, or springs, 
are pressed upon a similar number of thin steel plates carried 
by the driven shaft. When these plates are drawn together 
and the oil is squeezed from between them, they give a 
powerful drive, but one of a kindly nature. It is obvious that 
the pairs of plates will not hold until the oil is squeezed from 
between them. You cannot have any sudden shocks or jars 
with the Hele-Shaw elutch. What you may have, however, 
is a superfluity of oil which will not be squeezed out, and will 
cause your clutch to slip most violently. On the other hand, 
you may not have oil enough, and the whole may overheat 
with the most disastrous results. 

The first clutch of this kind which came to my notice, 
so far as driving went, was on a powerful 40-h.p. car entrusted 
to me last year. I set out gaily with it upon the Oxford 
road, and coming to Dashwood Hill I hoped to take it at 
least on my third. When the time came, however, to change 
down—although I but just touched the pedal with my foot— 
the clutch absolutely refused to take up the drive again ; and 
there I was reduced to a humiliating ascent upon a slow first. 
When I spoke to the makers about it, they said, “ This clutch 
must be washed out with paraffin every hundred and fifty or 
two hundred miles at least; it must then be charged again 
with the oil we sent to you, and charged in the exact measure 
of our directions.” 

Messrs. Hele-Shaw’s own directions for the erection and 
upkeep of their clutches are as follows : 

“ Each clutch must be erected in accordance with the work¬ 
ing drawing sent out with it. The following are important 
points to remember in connection with the Hele-Shaw 
clutches. 

“ All the discs in a Hele-Shaw clutch have driving notches 


THE AMATEUR MOTORIST 


136 

either on their inner or their outer edges. A pack of discs in 
a clutch must begin with an ‘ outer ’ and end with an ‘ outer ’ 
disc. The intermediate discs must be ‘ inner ’ and ‘ outer ’ 
alternately throughout the pack. 

“Take care when the clutch is erected that the discs are 
properly supported at the back by the fly-wheel. When 
the clutch is in gear, the coil springs in the cover exert 
considerable pressure on the discs, and these rhust be held 
up against that pressure by the fly-wheel or some of its 
attachments. 

“ Another important point is the clearance necessary for 
the plates to free when the clutch is out. The sliding sleeve 
which draws the clutch out of gear must have at least f in. 
movement before it is stopped by the clutch brake. The 
withdrawing movement of the sliding sleeve takes the 
pressure off the plates, and this movement must not be 
checked by the brake until the sleeve has been withdrawn 
far enough to give the discs sufficient freedom inside the 
clutch. 

“The simplest and best way to ensure the clutch brake 
being in its right position is to loosen the nuts on the inner 
member of the brake and, withdrawing the clutch by the 
pedal, let the outer member push the inner member back 
along the shaft as far as it will go; then, letting the clutch 
in again, tap the inner member forward a little (about J in.), 
and fasten as before. This will ensure that the back brake is 
working properly, and at the same time ensures the maximum 
clearance for the disc when the clutch is out. 

“ The amount of oil required for a Hele-Shaw clutch is 
approximately one pint, but in all cases the right quantity 
is marked on the outside of the case. No special lubricant is 
necessary ; any thin mineral lubricating oil that will stand a 
high pressure will give perfect satisfaction. 

“ Perfect alignment is necessary for the proper working 
of the clutch. The alignment of a clutch can be tested by 
taking out the pressure springs and working the sliding 
sleeve to and fro by means of the clutch pedal. It should 
move easily, with just so much resistance as might be 



Details of the Daimler Carburettor. 



The Daimler Gear-box and Differential 











GOING AFT TO THE PROPELLER 


137 


expected from the suction of the oil in the box and the 
resistance of the small springs between the plates. If the 
movement is very stiff or jerky, the alignment is most likely 
at fault, and the cause should first be looked for in the 
arrangement of pedal levers. These levers may be badly 
arranged, tending to lift the sliding sleeve instead of drawing 
it straight back. 

" These pedal levers should be arranged to give a purchase 
of not less than 6 to i, so that the movement of the pedal 
is easy to the foot, and delicate manipulation of the clutch 
becomes possible in traffic. 

“ As the plates wear, the spring pressure becomes lighter, 
and must be increased by screwing in the spring caps, taking 
care that all the caps are equally adjusted and afterwards 
locked by means of the nuts. The brake disc can be set 
up afterwards to correspond. 

“ The joint between the flange of the clutch and the fly¬ 
wheel must be jointed with a paper face to prevent leakage 
of oil. The corresponding joint between the cover and the 
case is similarly packed before leaving the works. These 
paper faces must be replaced unbroken after a clutch has 
been dismantled, or the clutch will lose its lubricant. 

“ The clutch may be washed out occasionally with paraffin 
to remove any sediment due to wear of the plates. 

“ If these instructions are followed, the motorist will have 
a clutch that will last as long as his car without renewal of 
the plates.” 

I have since discovered by experience that it is this fre¬ 
quent washing out of the Hele-Shaw type of clutch which 
ensures perfection in running. The oil, if left in the case, 
seems to lose its properties after a certain number of miles 
have been run ; and while refusing to lubricate the clutch 
properly, merely causes it to slip. The greatest care is 
necessary in following the makers’ instructions where these 
clutches are employed. Both the kind of oil and the amount 
of it are matters of quite vital importance; and nq man 
should drive upon such a clutch until he has not only 
mastered its principle, but given the maker a patient ear. 


138 


THE AMATEUR MOTORIST 


Mr. Edge’s directions in the manipulation of the 6 -cylinder 
Napier car are to wash out the clutch every thousand miles 
with paraffin, and to refill with a pint of Napier Clutch Oil. 
Each maker appears to have his own views on this point, and 
rightly to have them. The Hele-Shaw clutch itself, though 
largely used, has been followed by many metal clutches of a 
simpler kind, each demanding its special treatment. The 
Napier Clutch, of course, is one of the simplest and the best 
of these, while much praise has been bestowed upon the 
Rover design. 

The latter, I think, is one of the simplest of all metal- 
to-metal clutches, and quite one of the best. In principle 
it works almost as our brakes work. A pair of shoes is 
expanded or contracted at will. When expanded, they grip 
the driving drum ; when contracted, they let it go. Other 
clutches have but a single loose plate gripped between two 
others when the clutch pedal is released. The new Mors 
Clutch, too, depends upon a simple toggle arrangement 
which draws a steel band tight upon a drum. Next year 
will bring still another type of this metal-to-metal device, 

I make sure. We shall hear less and less of our old friend 
Master Leather-Face, but shall not cease, for all that, to 
regret him. 

The clutch being properly oiled, and, if necessary, ad¬ 
justed, the amateur who is setting out upon his car must 
next give an eye to his brakes. I take it that the lubri¬ 
cation of the gear-box is already completed. Should there 
be a serious defect in his gear-box, that will also be a job 
for the shops. Modern gears can give very much or very 
little trouble, as the case may be. There are some notori¬ 
ously cheap cars whose gear wheels will run nine months 
at the best. There are other gears which will run three 
yeans, and show but little trace of wear at the end of 
it. All that we can do is to examine our gear wheels 
periodically to make sure that they are bolted firmly 
upon their shafts, and to leave the rest to Providence and 
good grease. 



Photo by Cautpbell-Gray. 

Showing: the De Dion Dash and Clutch. 



Lanchester Rear Axle showing Worm Drive. 




r 













GOING AFT TO THE PROPELLER 


139 


The brakes, however, are another matter. They must be 
our daily care. I would name that man as little less than 
a lunatic who does not try his brakes before he tries any¬ 
thing else when his car is upon the road. I'or just think 
what may happen even to good brakes ! You may find a 
poor adjustment upon your counter-shaft brake and no hold 
there ; there may be too much oil upon your rear expanding 
brakes, and they may refuse to act; you come to even a 
moderate hill and find the car beyond your control. The 
papers record another motor accident. 

Now all this could have been prevented had you tried 
the foot brake directly you emerged from the stable. It 
would have told its own tale ; you would have descended 
immediately from your perch, and, taking the spanner in 
your hand, would have given a few turns to the nuts which 
govern the adjusting rod. Having unscrewed your lock nuts 
to begin with, you would have drawn the brake up, testing 
it as you did so by depressing the pedal, and being sure 
that it did hold before you drove another mile. Brakes 
adjusted too closely to the drums are, of course, a danger ; 
but W'hat we must do when adjusting our foot-brake is to see 
that it will stop the car dead, say, at a speed of fifteen miles 
an hour, and stop it without too violent an effort. This 
we can tell, not by jamming on the brake with cowardly 
force, but by applying it gradually as a locomotive driver 
applies his brake. Just touch the drum with it at first, 
and then bring the pressure to a crescendo. What the car 
does in the last three or four yards is an index to true 
adjustment. If it goes rolling on, coming to a stop very 
gradually, our brake is out of adjustment. If, on the other 
hand, having applied the brake gradually at first we press 
it right home in the end, if then the car pulls up dead, 
we may proceed in safety. 

There is a good deal of trouble with the internal ex¬ 
panding brakes upon our rear wheels, and much of it is 
caused by later design, as it affects the back axle. We 
now oil our rear wheels—when we have a propeller shaft— 
through the differential, the oil flowing along the outer 


40 


THE AMATEUR MOTORIST 


casing, and so into the rear-wheel axle-box. It also, 
alas, flows in no small quantities into our brake drums; 
and while it is there, effective rear-wheel braking is im¬ 
possible. The moral is that we must oil our dilTerential 
with care, keeping the lubricant as low as we can do with 
safety, and washing out the brake drums themselves with 
paraffin whenever we have inefficient braking. 


CHAPTER XVII 


A GOSSIP ABOUT TYRES 

1 HAVE often wondered how many amateur motorists 
would be plagued by that terror, the professional 
chauffeur, if it were not for tyre troubles. Admittedly, so 
far as the motor-car is a substitute for the brougham, the paid 
driver is necessary. We cannot drive ourselves to the theatre 
or the restaurants ; nor do we, in the country, arrive at our 
friends’ houses with a flourish and ask the way to the stables 
before we go into the drawing-room. My remarks apply 
entirely to the tourist. 

What a joy to be alone upon the road! How delightful 
to be quit of that grinning and greasy lout who costs us so 
much money annually! Let us enter a town with him and 
we know that he will cost us some ten or twelve shillings 
a day wherever we may house him. And what return will 
he make to us? Why, just this—to command the ostler 
to clean his car and to charge us for doing it while he is 
abroad with the local “ Mary Ann ” and the cheapest brand 
of cigarette. 

No, we must be quit of this fellow if we are to enjoy our 
touring; and we shall be quit of him finally when tyre 
troubles are made easy for us. This, of course, is already 
upon the horizon—the great races of the year having all been 
won upon detachable rims. That the detachable rim is to be 
a feature of the motor-car of the future I have no more doubt 
than of my own existence. All this wrestling with heavy 
and obstinate covers, this knee drill in the dust of the road, 
these muttered phrases, these wicked delays—all must go into 
the Ewigkeit. We shall have our cars fitted with the latest 

141 


142 


THE AMATEUR MOTORIST 


form of detachable rim and all the heavy work will be done 
in the stable for us. 

This, I say, is for the near future—possibly for the year 
1908. The old tyre will, of course, predominate enormously 
for many years to come; but that it is doomed, we can have 
no doubt whatever. A detachable rim when properly kept 
cannot give the user much trouble. Should it be improperly 
kept, the bolts and nuts left to rust and jam, then the last 
state of the motorist will be worst than the first. Happily, as 
a counter to this gloomy prophecy the Dunlop Company 
appears to have invented a detachable rim which even the 
careless may be able to handle with success. But one turn 
of a locking-key is necessary to free the binding-rod which 
holds this rim in place. 

The very simplicity of the affair is a guarantee of its 
success. And if we have not seen much of it upon the road 
hitherto, let the maker’s interest answer for that. Here he 
is with an unsold stock of the ancient tyres ; these he must 
dispose of before he begins to whisper these magic words, 
“detachable rims,” into the ears of a prospective customer. 
Those of us who would drive upon detachable rims im¬ 
mediately, must carry our wheels to Messrs. Smith Palfrey, 
or other cunning wheelwrights, and there have them adapted 
to the new invention. The detachable rim is at present 
for the few. The agent’s balance-sheet forbids it to be 
otherwise. 

These being the facts, I am driven back to a consideration 
of the older fashion and of the troubles it presents to the 
amateur who would drive his own car. Happily, these are 
not what they were even a couple of years ago. The Stepney 
Spare Wheel has altered all that—in a measure, perhaps, 
itself a substitute even for the detachable rim—for it is a 
detachable rim, though not a permanent one. A clever 
operator can fix a Stepney Spare Wheel in a quarter of an 
hour at a liberal estimate. He has but to jack up the 
offending wheel, to deflate the old cover, to insert the clamps 
of the Stepney and to screw them home. Every amateur 
who drives his own car must find these wheels indispensable. 


A GOSSIP ABOUT TYRES 


143 


I see them everywhere—I hear nothing but praise for them. 
They may even yet prove a stout antagonist to the coming 
fashion. 

But let us suppose that our amateur has not a Stepney 
with him, that he carries the ordinary spare cover and two 
or three spare inner tubes. He will meet with punctures 
on the road, of course; but if he cares for his tyres properly, 
he will meet with less than others who are more careless. In 
the first place, when his car is at home he will often test the 
pressure in these tyres—doing this not by the gauge upon 
his pump, but by a special gauge such as that Messrs. Sutton 
or Messrs. Michelin supply. Should any tyre show a pressure 
less than seventy-five pounds he will know that it must 
be blown up. Should any tyre vary in its pressure from day 
to day he will understand that the valve is probably leaking 
and must be seen to. 

Every manufacturer of tyres who has ever written upon 
this subject insists, first and foremost, on the maintenance 
of pressure in our tubes. I myself had a good lesson in the 
matter when first I bought one of Messrs. Sutton’s gauges. 
I had always thought that my driver was keeping his tyres 
fairly well blown up. We used to argue the point, and he 
was emphatic in his assurances that the tyre gauge upon his 
pump showed at least seventy-five pounds of pressure. 
When, however, we put the Sutton gauge upon the valve, 
then we discovered that we had in no single instance a 
pressure of more than sixty-five pounds, and one tyre did not 
show more than fifty. Since when, as the advertisement 
goes, I have used no other. It is almost my daily care now 
to try my tyres upon the Sutton gauge and to make sure 
that the pressure is there—for I remember that no deflated 
tyre will long resist puncture and that he who shirks a 
minimum of labour in the stable is likely to meet with a 
maximum of trouble upon the road. 

I should advise every tyro to follow very carefully the 
instructions given by the makers of the tyres he employs 
upon his car. Whether they be Dunlop, Michelin, Con¬ 
tinental, or Palmers, he will be supplied with a little book 


144 


THE AMATEUR MOTORIST 


which will show him the necessary pressure for the particular 
kind of tyre and will emphasise the need of maintaining it. 
This would apply also if we had detachable rims. For 
remember, that a tyre has just as much to be put upon a rim 
when that rim is detachable as when it is fixed. I have not 
tried the thing myself, but I can imagine that the fixing of a 
heavy cover upon a loose rim laid flat upon a table will be no 
child’s play, and that we shall need some weeks of practice 
to become experts at the business. 

Having been careful to blow the tyres up properly, our 
amateur should next examine their condition casually every 
morning, but very carefully at least once a week. Big cuts 
must be filled up immediately by such a preparation as the 
Pneu-cure or some other form of good solution. This is most 
important. A small cut left in a cover quickly becomes a 
big cut; water gets in and rots the rubber ; perhaps flints 
take refuge there and breed a family. We get thereby 
vulnerable places in our tyres which any undue pressure may 
burst or even a comparatively blunt obstacle may puncture. 
For this reason it is imperative that we should clean and fill 
every considerable cut that appears, and directly it appears, 
and should take no risks under this head. 

As to our non-skids, it will be necessary to watch the state 
of the bands or the studs most carefully, removing loose or 
torn pieces at once, and allowing no broken studs to remain. 
I am perfectly aware, when writing this, that the older type 
of flat band is rapidly disappearing. The non-skids, as 
made by the great tyre firms, give little trouble until they are 
worn out; and when they are worn out, then “ good-bye ” to 
them. It is, within my experience, hopeless to expect this 
pattern of non-skid to be retreaded. Once it goes it is 
useless, and should be thrown aside without hesitation. 

Dwelling for a moment still upon the care of the tyre in 
the motor-house—before passing to its care upon the road—I 
would remind you that rubber perishes by light, grease, and 
damp. Light in consequence should be kept from your inner 
tubes ; damp and grease both from tubes and cover. There 


A GOSSIP ABOUT TYRES 


145 


is an excellent canvas case made by Gamage for our spare 
covers. These when not upon the car should be kept either 
upon a shelf, or, if a shelf be not available, then they should 
be hung upon big nails hammered into the wall. Spare 
tubes should always be kept in indiarubber bags such as the 
makers supply. A little French chalk may advisably be 
rubbed over them before they are put away; but the valves 
should be carried complete and not in fragments, as some 
chauffeurs will carry them. These fellows are shockingly 
wasteful everywhere; but nowhere is their waste more 
remarkable than when dealing with our tyres. Keep a 
watchful eye upon them, and make them account for every¬ 
thing. By this means alone shall we keep our bills down. 

The great secret of running a car cheaply, so far as its 
tyres are concerned, is a very simple one. Not only should 
we have our covers of a proper size for the weight they are 
to carry, but we should insist upon a margin over. I tried 
the experiment last year of running a 30-h.p. car weighing 
some twenty-six hundredweights upon 870 by 90’s, with the 
result that I spent £140 upon tyres in little less than three 
months. This was a preposterous outlay for so small a car, 
and I began to perceive that the condition of things was far 
from a happy one. A change to the 880 by 120 size did 
much to stem the tide of disaster. I should have done better, 
perhaps, to have put on tyres as large as a 135 ; but the 
moral was obvious, and it is a moral for every car-owner— 
carry upon your rear wheels the biggest tyre your wheel will 
take. I say rear wheels because I am not an advocate of 
large tyres upon front wheels. Mercedes’ practice has always 
been to put 90’s upon their front wheels, and not to be 
tempted to graver risks even by the compensation of greater 
luxury in travel. There can be no question whatever that 
a burst upon a front wheel is a dangerous thing if you are 
driving at a high rate of speed, or taking a curve when the 
catastrophe happens. But the danger with a tyre, say of 120, 
is proportionally greater than with a tyre of 90. You decrease 
a greater diameter and put a correspondingly enhanced strain 
upon your steering-gear. This is a point I have not seen 

10 


146 


THE AMATEUR MOTORIST 


emphasised in many of the manuals I have read ; but I feel 
sure it is a point for the amateur to notice. Let us keep 
down the size of tyres upon our front wheels, and so keep 
down the risks attending a burst there. 

Of course, tyres will burst and they will puncture ; and 
this they will go on doing to the end of time. I myself would 
not give a fig for any of those special preparations which 
seek to minimise these happenings. In my experience they 
are messy or inefficient and non-resilient. What an amateur 
chauffeur has to do is to learn to master tyre-changing and, by 
practice, to make light of it. Nowadays it is not the task that 
once it was. We have learned that small and inefficient levers 
are no good to us. There are patent contrivances—notably a 
rolling machine sold by Messrs. Smith, of the Strand—which 
are of enormous assistance to the amateur. But supposing 
that he has the best implements possible, then system and 
knack are his best friends. He should, to begin with, make a 
kind of chart, which will serve him to pass the motorist’s 
“ little go.” Thus, to change a tube : 

(1) Draw the car well to the side of the road and bring her 
to rest on the level. If the road is sloping, she may run away 
from your jack or back on you. 

(2) Get out all your implements—the jack, the spare tube, 
three small levers, and a big fork lever to pass the new 
valve in. 

(3) Jack up the car, getting the wheel just clear of the 
ground. 

(4) Brush all the dirt and dust from the spokes. 

(5) Unscrew the valve cap and remove the barrel of the 
valve, also the big nut and washer. 

(6) Unscrew the wing nuts of the security bolts and bring 
them to the bottom of the thread. 

(7) Insert one of your small levers between the cover and 
the rim on the opposite side to the valve and midway between 
the security bolts. Insert a second lever some ten inches 
from this, and depress them both sharply downwards. 

(8) If you have one of the patent rolling-off levers (^a) you 
will now insert this between the cover and the rim and simply 





The 30 40-h.p. Fiat. 













6 






A GOSSIP ABOUT TYRES 


147 


screw the outer edge of your cover completely off. But if 
you have not such an implement, you will act as follows : 
(d) Having started the cover by the downward pressure of 
the levers, insert the third lever, if you are clever enough to 
do so, some ten inches from the second, holding the first 
lever down with your knee, and depress both sharply 
downwards with the hands. This will bring the cover off 
as easily as a glove comes from the hand. The rest of it 
can now be merely pulled out ; and having removed the old 
tube, and having cleaned the cover of all dirt and grit, take 
your can of French chalk, sprinkle a moderate amount in 
the cover and revolve the wheel sharply. Do not use too 
much French chalk, and see that it is absolutely dry and 
free from lumps. Now, before putting the old tube away, 
ascertain where it is punctured and mark the spot with a 
blue pencil. Take a new tube, fold it carefully to squeeze 
all the air out of it, and inserting your big fork lever one 
prong on either side of the valve hole, lift the cover and 
insert the new valve. 

See that the overlap in the join of the tube is on the 
rearward side of the car. Now fold the tube neatly round 
the rim, being sure that it is not twisted anywhere and that 
the overplus of it is lying in neat flat lengths. All being well 
in this respect, you may refit the barrel of your valve and 
inflate the tyre slightly—ten or twenty strokes of the pump 
are quite sufficient. We must then have another look to 
see that the slightly inflated tyre is lying evenly in the 
rim ; raise it on the security bolts, which, of course, are still 
unscrewed, feel it with your hand under the cover, and be 
quite sure it is not twisted. Then take two of your short 
levers, insert them between the outer cover and the rim, 
dipping them under the tube and raising them sharply. If 
a length of tyre does not now slip into the rim, press it 
down gently with the third lever inserted in the groove. 
This knack of pressing the groove down is quickly learned 
and exceedingly useful, but great care must be taken not to 
injure the rubber. 

Having pressed the outer cover into the rim length by 


148 


THE AMATEUR MOTORIST 


length, using the hands if necessary, and rocking it to and 
fro to seat it correctly, now press it back a little way all 
round the rim and make sure that the inner tube is not nipped. 
If you see red rubber anywhere, regard it as a danger signal. 
Again, raise the security bolts to their full height by tapping 
upon them gently with the lever, press them up and pull 
them down to make sure they have not nipped the tube, 
then screw them home. Hammer softly upon the whole 
outer cover, turning the wheel slowly as you do so—this 
will insure a better seating of the cover. Pump up your 
tyre, sparing no labour, and being sure of the correct pressure 
before you put the pump away. 

These are simple rules and are quickly learned. Of course, 
if a novice can induce an old driver to change a cover for 
him, he will learn more in half an hour than this book can 
teach him in six months. He should make himself familiar 
with all the details of the modern tyre ; with the exact 
situation of the security bolts, the precise construction of 
the valve, the feel and look of a well-fitted tyre. When he 
is familiar with the work it really will not prove so very 
dreadful. Should he have to change not only the inner 
tube, but the cover, when upon the road, the above directions 
still hold good, but need to be slightly amplified. 

He must now, having removed the inner tube, use his 
big fork lever also to remove the security bolts. He will 
then employ his smaller levers to pull the tyre from the 
inner side of the rim ; and when he puts his new cover on he 
must first force it quite home in that inner side before replacing 
his security bolts. It is a good plan, when putting the new 
cover over the wheel, to fix it loosely upon the rim at 
one side of the wheel, and then press its edges closely 
together and lift them into the rim on the other side by 
sharply raising one of the levers. As long a lever as possible 
of the flat variety should be used to hitch the tyre over the 
rim at one side of the wheel, and then pressing the edges 
of the cover together upon the other side to seat it cor¬ 
rectly there. Quit the rim with one sharp upward motion. 
You can almost fix your inner cover in the inner edge by 


A GOSSIP ABOUT TYRES 


149 


pressure from the wrists aided by the lever applied to the 
groove as before; and when you have fixed it you will 
immediately replace the security bolts and be ready for 
your tube. Indeed, the necessity of changing the cover 
bodily adds little to the labour entailed by the common 
puncture. Here, as elsewhere, it is the knack of the thing 
that is all-important. 

I shall not attempt to disguise the fact, when addressing 
the would-be motorist, that tyres are likely to be his most 
considerable expense when he comes to possess a car. There 
is no doubt at all about this. I heard in the Autumn 
of the owner of a loo-h.p. Rochet-Schneider who offered 
a great firm of tyre makers .^1,000 a year to keep his 
car supplied in tyres, and met with but a chilly response. 

If men will drive engines of 60-, 80-, or lOO-h.p., they must 
foot the bill, and foot it cheerfully. Even the possessor 
of a 40-h.p. car, should he make considerable use of it, 
will find himself £/\.oo or ^^500 out of pocket at least at 
the end of his first year. It is necessary to state this 
frequently, or much mischief will be done. Motoring in 
its speedier phase is one of the costliest pursuits we can 
follow—racing and yachting apart. It is not until we come 
down to the small car, to the engines of 10-, 15-, and 20-h.p., 
that we may look for reasonable tyre bills and a pastime 
open to a moderate purse. 

I think that the owner of a 20-h.p. car, should its tyres 
be sufficiently large and it be carefully driven, might well 
get through a fairly busy year upon an expenditure of 
;^ioo. Or, again, the owner, say, of a little Swift or De Dion 
would have no complaint to make if his tyre bill were 
or even £$0^ a year. Here is the chance, and the only 
chance, for the man of moderate means. The monstrous 
expense of those great cars is not to be denied by any 
candid person. Let the manufacturer warble to us aS' he 
will, we know the truth, and have learnt it some time by 
bitter experience. 

I have taken the account books of three careful friends 


150 


THE AMATEUR MOTORIST 


of my own—each owner of a 40-h.p. car—and I find that 
their expenditure upon tyres for the year just ending has 
been ;^58o, £ 66 ^]^ and £joo. They are careful drivers, they 
do not use their brakes madly, they do not dash up to 
corners and stop with violence. I doubt, nevertheless, if any 
one of them keeps his car at a less expense than ;^8oo or 
£^00 a year, nor does he consider himself unlucky when 
the total is but that. 


CHAPTER XVIII 


THE SMALL CAR 

1 AM often asked whether it is good enough to drive a little 
car. My answer invariably has been in the affirmative. 
I am not sure that the driver of a little car does not get more 
fun out of the business than the owner of a giant. I am quite 
convinced that the small car will eventually be a supreme 
delight to hundreds of thousands. 

For remember that this small car is about to take the place 
of the pony-trap. It cannot quite do so at present because 
we have not yet reduced upkeep to a science; but the 
day will come, and come soon, when we shall so reduce it. 
And then there will be few of those now owning pony-traps 
who will not change them for the little car. 

Granted that the first cost of the car is somewhat serious 
when compared with the cost of your pony and trap. A man, 
I suppose, gets a decent cob and cart for varying sums 
between £20 and £60. The cheapest of the little cars of our 
day is ;^ioo—and I see no prospect of immediate reduction. 
Against this, however, we must immediately set the cost 
of the pony’s keep and of his limitations. One car, however 
small, will certainly do the work of three ponies ; nor do 
I suppose that it will cost much more than the pony to keep, 
distance for distance. Perhaps the best proof of this conten¬ 
tion is that those who have given up pony-traps for motor-cars 
are rarely known to return to their first love. 

Nowadays, when these small cars can be bought upon The 
Times system—sometimes fairly, sometimes unfairly con¬ 
ducted—the difficulties of the first payments are less. And 
remember that the man who has been accustomed to looking 
after his own pony and trap is both a driver upon the road and 

151 


152 


THE AMATEUR MOTORIST 


a student of self-help. He will look after his motor-car with a 
diligence which no chauffeur would ever bestow upon a thousand- 
guinea limousine. Every nut and bolt will be dear to him ; 
he will thumb books innumerable to get at first principles. 
Nothing but the best in the way of running will please him. 
Such cars are often efficient to the last degree ; and when 
they are thus efficient the pleasure that they give is 
uncontestable. 

I have often said that I think the finest small car ever built 
was the old 6-h.p. De Dion. There are many of these 
running about the country to-day and giving all the old 
satisfaction. The new 8-h.p. De Dion, and the still later 
lo-h.p. with two cylinders, are worthy successors of this 
admirable vehicle ; but the lO-h.p., at any rate, begins to pass 
from the category of the small car and should not be con¬ 
sidered under that head. It is curious in this respect to 
notice how, as time goes on, the number of small cars becomes 
beautifully less, and how many makers are tempted to desert 
an industry in which they have won great fame for another in 
which their prospects of success are dubious. 

Of the De Dion higher-powered cars I know very little. 
They are no doubt built with all that care and thoroughness 
which characterise the work of this famous factory. But 
I shall always regret that they have ceased to make the 
6 -h.p. car and implore them not to treat us in the same way 
where the 8-h.p. car is concerned. We must have a small car 
from their house. It would be a calamity, should any one 
ask us to name a good small car, to be unable to respond 
immediately “ the De Dion.” The 6-h.p. De Dion, I say, has 
had its nose put out of joint by the 8-h.p. ; but luckily the 
Swift and others remain. 

I wonder how many thousands of good people of very 
moderate means and moderate ambitions have first learned to 
know this England of ours through the instrumentality of the 
Rover car. Admirably designed some years ago by that able 
motor engineer, Mr. Lewis, the Rover, truly, has never looked 
back. You buy it, I think, for some ;6i05 ; it runs you, 
heaven knows how far, on a gallon of petrol, and you will be 



The 8-h.p. De Diou, 
















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4 









THE SMALL CAR 


153 


unlucky to want a second set of tyres during the first year, at 
any rate. A car of this kind has been maintained for as small 
an outlay as £20 per annum ; even should the owner have 
to stable it in a garage, it could be kept reasonably for £^o. 
Indeed, I know of few cars that one could recommend with 
more confidence than this. 

This, of course, is not to say that there are no other good 
small cars upon the market. Happily there are many of 
them. For those who desire great simplicity of control I 
would name the Adams-Hewitt—now made in England ; 
nor could one justly withhold a good word of praise for the 
little Darracqs, the Siddeleys, and the Beauforts. The latter 
company, I am afraid, has abandoned its famous io-12-h.-p. 
car, which has always excited my warm admiration. No 
other instance is known to me of an amateur, supremely 
ignorant of motor matters, taking a car out of a maker’s 
shop, and running it successfully for more than two years ; 
but this happened in the case of the Beaufort. 

A youngster, who had just left school, persuaded his father 
to buy him a io-12-h.-p. Beaufort. He learned to drive it; 
he embarked upon what we all expected to be an amusing 
series of adventures ; but lo and behold, the laugh was with 
the boy! It is true that he was once stopped upon the 
St. Albans road by a puncture, and not having the faintest 
idea how to mend it, had to take the train home. But the 
engine itself has not given him a moment’s trouble. Although 
he knew nothing of it, and remained in ignorance for at least 
six months, it went as regularly as a sewing-machine, and as 
satisfactorily. 

It must always be remembered that the small car is for 
many young men but a substitute for their bicycles. Perhaps 
they were motor-cyclists to begin with; they learned to 
manage the single-cylindered engine ; they braved all the 
discomforts of motor-cycling, and turned to the small car 
expectantly—nor do I think that it has disappointed them. 
Soundly built, as a whole, the man who can manage the 
engine of a motor-bicycle can certainly keep the best of 
the small cars in order ; and while he will never travel as 


154 


THE AMATEUR MOTORIST 


fast in it as he would travel upon his motor-bicycle, the 
social side of it, the greater comfort, and the utility of the 
car must in the end prevail. 

Again, where country houses are concerned there is no 
substitute for the reliable small car. It will run in and out 
to the nearest town all day if you like; it will bring home 
the beef and the bacon, carry your luggage to the train, run 
you merrily to the golf links, take you quickly to the river. 
Standing in a dry shed, being carefully washed and oiled 
every morning, you have but to give a brisk turn to the 
starting-handle and your car is your willing servant. As time 
goes on there will be thousands of Englishmen who will 
come to understand the enormous possibilities attending so 
limited an expenditure. Indeed, I think that the motor 
movement of the future may tend more and more to the 
advancement of this little vehicle rather than to that of 
its more costly rival. 


CHAPTER XIX 


THE BODY OF THE CAR 

T here is some beautiful work done nowadays in the 
construction of the motor-car body—there are also 
some dreadful productions. I know no field in which the 
contrasts are more remarkable. Go to Holland & Holland, 
or Thorn, or Sayers, or Mulliner, or Rothschild, or Kellner, 
and you may get a motor body which is more beautiful than 
anything the old carriage industry every showed us. Visit, 
on the other hand, the shops where they turn out “ side- 
entrance phaetons” for the cheaper cars, and you will be 
offered trash which should not house a dog. Indeed, it is 
difficult for the unskilled critic to understand the care and 
the skill involved in the building of a successful motor body; 
to have the front seats placed exactly where they should be, 
so to poise the driver that while his legs are not cramped 
he can reach the pedals surely ; to get the right angle for 
the back seats, to apportion the weight correctly. Ask a 
great builder about this and he will become a vocal ency¬ 
clopaedia upon the subject. 

The majority of buyers, in despair, simply fall back upon 
a reputation. Tell any of the famous builders I have named 
what you want, and he is not likely to disappoint you. 
But remember that a fine motor body is expensive, and that 
you may pay any sum from ;^ioo to ;^300 for it. I shall 
not here enter into the question as to what is the most 
suitable body for the modern car. I myself am an opponent 
of the limousine and landaulette except for purely town 
work. Writing for the amateur, who is going to drive a 
car himself, I would tell him that he will enjoy few of the 
finer pleasures of motoring in a landaulette and none at all 

155 


56 


THE AMATEUR MOTORIST 


in a limousine. It is all very fine to tell us that protection 
from the weather is necessary. This we can get with a good 
Cape hood and a glass screen ; but our ambitions are all 
for God’s fresh air and that inconceivable exhilaration of 
travel which the motor alone can bestow. 

For my part I would sooner take a train any day than 
drive a hundred miles in a stuffy limousine. Motoring 
loses its charm for me the moment I am boxed in. There 
is a sense of oppression in these closed cars which no amount 
of draughts—and draughts are there abundantly—can make 
good. The rattle of this class of car, the stuffiness of it, 
the limitations of it, are to me intolerable. I hear the 
laments of the lost complexion with indifference. 

So you see I am all for the open car, but not upon that 
account the less an advocate of comfort. Some of the 
phaetons as now built by the greater houses are models of 
design and luxury—shapely at the back, but with the rear 
seats of a moderate height; plenty of space in the tonneau ; 
good bucket seats in front and a compliment paid there 
to the long-legged man. I know nothing better than a 
good side-entrance for the purpose of touring. Its defects 
hitherto have not been hidden from us. The Cape-cart 
hood is a wretched contrivance and had many drawbacks. 
Many of us who resent the limousine and landaulette have, 
nevertheless, hungered for some protection against the 
weather; and have felt that there are times and seasons 
when, even if but for half an hour of our day, we should 
have been glad of such protection as the covered carriage 
would give us. 

This, I think, we shall now get. I have recently seen in 
London a modified form of landaulette built by Messrs. 
Kellner of Paris which seemed to me as ingenious a thing 
as France has yet sent us. They tell me at the clubs that 
no self-respecting amateur could possibly drive his own 
landaulette ; but here is a carriage which I venture to say 
that any amateur could drive—and drive with pride. This 
carriage has a hood of black leather, and, as part of this 
hood, are pillars for the windows which let into the side 



The New Kellner Body (closed). 



The New Kellner Body (open). 

(By permission of Messrs. Kellner et ses Fils.) 


































THE BODY OF THE CAR 


57 


doors and the panels in front of them. When you lift 
this hood you lift the pillars with it, and almost instantly 
you can place them in position. The long black peak in 
front covers the driver completely and has a short roll of 
leather which is attached to the top of the forward glass 
screen. The second glass screen behind the driver’s seat 
is for the protection of those who occupy the rear seats, 
and when, in addition, they pull up the side windows of this 
screen they enjoy all the comforts of the finest limousine that 
ever was built. 

Used in an open form the carriage looks like an unusually 
handsome side-entrance phaeton with a black leather hood ; 
when the hood is up we have a somewhat unique combina¬ 
tion of landaulette and limousine beautifully fitted inside, 
and just such a carriage as the owner may drive himself. 
Messrs. Kellner, of 125, Avenue de Malakoff, Paris, are the 
builders, and the cost of the body, I understand, is £260. 

But why not a detachable body ? Why should the modern 
chassis serve but one purpose ? We are driving during the 
day, say, a hundred miles in the country, but at night we 
are for the theatre. Obviously, if the weather be bad, Madame 
will object to the side-entrance phaeton, stout as its hood may 
be. It is true that I have seen charmingly dressed women 
returning from the theatre during the season in cars which 
had not even a Cape-cart hood. But this was a tribute 
to the fourteen hours of English summer we usually enjoy, 
and we cannot look for such patronage in a common way. 
The brougham in some shape or other is the thing for a 
dinner or the theatre. Why, then, should we not be able to 
remove our side-entrance body on returning from the country 
and to slip on a brougham top in its place ? 

Lieutenant Windham has answered this question for us. 
His detachable bodies are becoming very well known ; they 
are well and capitally made, capable of quick adjustment 
and by no means dear. I understand that for a sum of 
£2^0 you can have a racing two-seater, a single brougham 
and a side-entrance phaeton. It is claimed that one man 
can detach any body already on the car and substitute 


158 


THE AMATEUR MOTORIST 


another in less than two minutes. Neither tools nor tackle 
are required. The bodies which are not in use stand upon 
high legs, provided by the makers. There is no apparent 
difference from the cars we commonly see in the streets— 
it would be almost impossible, 1 think, to detect without 
special examination the presence of a Windham body. And, 
clearly, we should save much in tyres by using only a 
“ two-seater ” when there are but two of us to go. The 
whole invention is so excellent, indeed, that I feel it is almost 
an ideal solution of the “ one car or two ” question. Let 
me add that Lieutenant Windhams Works are adjoining 
Clapham Junction Station. 

I am often asked what is the most suitable colour for the 
body of a motor-car. The question, I take it, concerns the 
best wearing colour, for it would be absurd to appeal to 
another upon a matter of personal taste. If we are to judge 
by prevailing practice, green would appear to be the most 
popular of all colours where motors are concerned. A West- 
End salesman tells me that he can always sell a green car 
in preference to a red, and that dark colours are invariably 
preferred for landaulettes and limousines. The fact is note¬ 
worthy, because red is of all colours the best wearing and, 
to my mind, the smarter where an open carriage is concerned. 
In the old days we had no such popular colour as “ Panhard ” 
red, though yellow proved a sturdy rival. The latter, I 
suppose, is a tradition of the old coaching days, though to 
me it remains an abomination ; and of all combinations that 
of a green body with yellow wheels is not to be surpassed 
as an artistic infamy. I am glad to say that we are seeing 
less of it; indeed, multi-coloured cars are becoming rarer 
every day. 

I can quite understand the fashion which dictates a dark 
colour for a limousine. Heavy cars readily become a terror 
to the natives if they are painted in loud colours. At the 
same time, I must contend that a limousine in dark red is 
a handsome carriage and that even royal blue is not offensive 
when the work is well done. The latter colour is ideal for 







The Windham Detachable Body. 



The Windham Detachable Body. 

















* 





« 



V -V- 




\ 




. 'ii 



»i 


■f.' 


# *i 







THE BODY OF THE CAR 


159 


a lady’s car. I know nothing prettier than a high phaeton, 
with a dickey behind, painted in royal blue and built for 
a lady driver. The old story that this is a bad wear¬ 
ing colour has been proved an absurdity. If blue be 
properly treated, it will wear almost as well as the famed 
“ Panhard ” red. 

There used to be a fine old fiction of a story that white 
was a good wearing colour—a piece of utter nonsense, as 
time has proved. A white car with red cushions looks well 
for twenty-four hours, but, the moment the gloss is off, the 
paint is done for and can never be rehabilitated. 

It is really astonishing how much good painting has to do 
with the smart appearance of a car. Any error of taste seems 
to cry aloud for judgment. I saw a car the other day with 
a yellow body, black wheels and bonnet ; comment was wasted 
upon it. If combination be desired, the prettiest of all is the 
French-grey body with crimson wheels. This wears well 
and is not really loud. The old coaching colours, for some 
reason or other, are rarely a success when they are used upon 
a motor-car. A blue body and red wheels are possible, but a 
yellow body and red wheels intolerable. Black is not a good 
colour, nor is chocolate—and, in truth, it seems to come to 
this, that there is just one shade of blue, one of green, and 
one of red which are putting everything else out of the 
market, and establishing themselves beyond contradiction. 

Some cars are almost known by their colours. One is so 
accustomed to Napier green that it is almost difficult to 
believe that a Napier of any other colour “will smell as 
sweet.” The eye plays tricks with us in this respect, and yet 
I saw a 60-h.p. Napier in red the other day, and would name 
it as one of the very finest cars I have ever seen upon the 
road. It was astonishing how well the long bonnet looked in 
this new colouring. 

As to the minor fittings of the car, I myself like to see a 
well-filled dashboard. There should be a good eight-day 
clock there—not a twenty-four hour abomination ; a speed 
indicator, of course—one of Messrs. Smith’s of the Strand for 
choice ; a couple of horns somewhere in the neighbourhood, a 


i6o THE AMATEUR MOTORIST 

small electric lamp—such as Messrs. Smith sell—fitted to the 
steering-wheel; possibly a good match and cigarette box, and 
lastly, but by no means least, the badge of the Automobile 
Association. 

And here a final word as to your appurtenances. Never 
forget your luncheon basket. It will save you a considerable 
sum in the course of the year; and of all the pleasures of 
motoring, none exceeds that of the al-fresco meal by the 
roadside. 


CHAPTER XX 


THE SALE OF THE CAR 

W HAT are you going to do with your car when you 
wish to sell it ? And what do you expect to get for 
it ? I have heard these questions frequently of late, and the 
replies interest me. Which is the best way to sell a second¬ 
hand car, and what loss should we be prepared to face ? If 
we have run the car but for a single season and the make be 
a popular one, this loss should not be more than 33 per cent. 
It will rarely be less, and we shall be lucky to make a quick 
sale at the price. The plain truth is that second-hand cars 
are almost a drug on the market. Clever people—such as 
those at the Motor House—can do very much more than 
most of us, and there are other dealers who have won con¬ 
spicuous successes. But in the main the business is a poor 
one for the seller, and the price obtained will often provoke 
the most dismal astonishment. 

As a mere opinion I put it that it is very difficult to sell 
cars by advertisement. Week by week, sometimes year by 
year, do I read in the technical press the despairing adver¬ 
tisements of would-be sellers who have treasures to part with. 
Reading these descriptions you would imagine the man who 
did not hurry out to purchase the cars in question to be little 
better than a lunatic. He might just as well have missed the 
Ejicydopcedia Britamiica. A closer inspection of the stock, 
however, would reveal terrible old crocks, toothless and 
asthmatic and dear at any price, for such is the charm of 
words. As a counterblast to this, that excellent Journal, the 
Autocar, will examine old cars for you and tell you just what 
they arc worth. Its system has done much for the seller 
and will do more, for the truth lies in a nutshell—that people 

161 11 


i 62 


THE AMATEUR MOTORIST 


do not buy second-hand cars because they are afraid of being 
swindled. No industry in the world has given birth to such 
unscrupulous rogues as the motor industry, and these are seen 
at their best in the sale of a second-hand car. Men who 
doubt their own judgment prefer to go straight to an honest 
maker and buy a new thing. I certainly do not blame them. 

If you would know the real worth of second-hand cars, 
attend some of the auction sales and listen. You will see 
Panhards which have cost hundreds going for fifties or less. 
By here and there an obviously fine car will fetch a big price, 
but the second-raters—why, I have seen one of 20h.p. knocked 
down for £yo, and I thought it dear at that. Surprise must 
attend these sales. Cars for which you are asked ^^^300 in 
the advertisements will be sold at the auctions for ^^150 or 
even less. The mischief of it is that you never know how far 
they have been driven or how they have been driven. It is 
far more satisfactory to begin at the beginning, especially 
to-day when sanity regulates prices, and cars which cost ;^^i8o 
to build are not being sold for 1,000. 

If you must sell a car in the spring, send it to one of the 
approved salerooms early in April, not before. Ask ^^50 
more than you are prepared to take and do not expect any 
fairy godmother to come to your aid. Blessed is he that 
expecteth nothing, especially where second-hand motors are 
concerned. If you gave £600 for the car and it is a Panhard, 
you may get ;^350 for it. Panhards, in my experience, are 
the most saleable of all cars. 

They are close pressed by Napiers, Daimlers, Mercedes, 
and Renaults, but they head the list just because the world 
knows their durable qualities and is rarely taken in by them. 
The fact permits me to offer good advice to the buyer. If 
he must buy a second-hand car, let it be a Panhard of recent 
date. He should obtain the number of the engine and have 
it verified in Paris, and he should take an expert with him to 
keep an eye on the smart young man whose only desire in 
life is to sell cars for much less than they are worth. 

One of the dodges that used to be practised upon the 
novice was delightfully simple. Rogues bought up a number 


THE SALE OF THE CAR 


163 


of Krebs carburettors and fitted them to worthless engines 
not made by Panhard. When the innocent customer pre¬ 
sented himself the rogues said, “ It must be a genuine 
Panhard because it has a Krebs carburettor. Look and sec 
for yourself” The youth, who had never heard of Krebs, and 
thought that a carburettor was something to warm the feet, 
used to look and see, and go home with an antiquity which 
was not a joy to him. It is amazing to remember how often 
and how successfully this swindle has been practised. 

Cars arc often sold by men who labour under a foolish 
delusion. A man drives a machine with some trifling defect, 
and he believes that if he sells it and buys another he will 
find himself in Eldorado. Nothing could be a greater 
mistake. Let us not forget that nearly every motor-car on 
the market has some point open to criticism. If one were 
to start making a catalogue of the little defects, even in the 
finest machines, there would be an outcry surpassing Babel, 
and yet one knows that the indictment would be perfectly 
true. 

I met a man the other day who sold a fine Italian car 
because he had some trouble with the clutch. He bought 
a PTench car and discovered that the high-tension magneto 
was much better for starting purposes in the books than in 
his garage. After winding the handle of this French car for 
a week he bought a German car—one of the most redoubtable 
—and now he finds that he has so much trouble with the 
pressure valve that life is a burden to him. The moral 
is, that motoring is still attended by certain mechanical 
difficulties, however trifling they may be, and that it is sheer 
folly to sell a car at a big loss because we do not find it all 
the makers claim it to be. 


BOOK III 

SOME CARS OF OUR OWN TIME 


CHAPTER XXI 

FROM THE MAKER’S POINT OF VIEW 

M r. edge was saying the other day that there are now 
no bad cars upon the market. He meant by that, I 
suppose, that the failures of many years have not been without 
their fruits, and that there is no manufacturer so blatantly 
ignorant at the present day that he cannot keep his car 
running upon the road. Even three years ago it would not 
have been possible to have claimed this for some of the 
amazing swindles then put upon the market. There were 
bad cars enough in those days, but some of them were so bad 
that the makers should have gone to prison. It is this class 
we have eliminated—to our own safety and that of the non¬ 
motoring public. 

I shall say frankly that for my part I make no attempt 
whatever in this book to deal categorically with the motor 
productions of the day. To do so would be to produce an 
encyclopaedia of a singularly tedious and unprofitable order. 
Every man who has driven a motor-car for ten years becomes 
the victim of his own prejudices. There are certain cars 
which interest him, and others, perhaps equally good cars, 
which do not. Accident brings the wares of certain makes 
to his notice—it leaves him in ignorance of other wares which 
might profitably occupy his attention. So you find that as 
time goes on he is a Mercedes man, a Fiat man, a Napier 
man, or, at the best, a partisan of one or two well-known 
makers, and he will rarely hear a word to damp his own 

164 


SOME CARS OF OUR OWN TIME 


165 


enthusiasms. Preaching the gospel of the car he likes, he 
turns a deaf ear to other evangelists. Perhaps it is as well 
for the motor industry that this should be the case ; for if we 
were all buyers of the same car, heaven help our purses and 
the industry! 

So it comes about that I have noticed in this chapter 
chiefly the cars which interest me personally. Where I have 
added occasional notes of others of which I know very little, 
it is because of their undoubted popularity, cheapness, or 
some other quality which has insured large sales for them. 
In the main part the makers themselves have supplied the 
information upon which these brief notes have been written. 
Here and there, as the reader will see, the article is frankly 
signed by a writer who has made it his whole business to 
exploit the car in question ; but in several cases, where I 
know anything of the car myself, I have added in a subse¬ 
quent paragraph my own particular views. 

This I think is a fair method—permitting the maker to 
speak for himself and the critic to hear anything I myself 
have to say for the car in question. Where there is but one 
article concerning any car, then, unless otherwise signed, it is 
my own, and must not be taken to represent the maker’s view. 


The Argyll 

In the progress of things automobile, each year’s pro¬ 
ductions seem very near perfection—until they are reviewed 
in the light of next year’s models. 

In their 1908 chassis, the Argyll Company, while adhering 
generally to their past excellent design, have nevertheless 
improved and refined it in several important features. At 
the same time, and what is of vastly more importance, though 
less apparent to the general eye, they have been paying the 
most rigid attention to the workmanship and material of 
their cars. This is all the more commendable as the 
temptation and tendency in the motor industry have been to 
aim at quantity rather than quality. The Argyll people, on 


THE AMATEUR MOTORIST 


166 

the other hand, are making quality their first consideration, 
believing that a good car is their best selling agent. 

It has always been the policy of the company to introduce 
a new model each year. They consider that the time has 
now come when they could with advantage produce a rather 
higher-powered car than they have hitherto undertaken. 

The firm’s energies will therefore be mainly concentrated 
on their famous 14-16-h.p. and their new 40-h.p. cars. 

In all cars, the main proposition is the engine, and in this 
respect the Argyll cars are singularly fortunate. Their 
14-16-h.p. has been universally admired for its extreme 
flexibility, quietness, power, and durability. To enumerate 
all the features which go to produce the above result 
would take too long. One or two points may, however, 
be mentioned. For instance, the crank-shaft is supported 
between each crank, making five bearings in all. As these 
bearings are all lined with white metal, and under forced 
lubrication, this part of the engine lasts indefinitely. Another 
point, though not at all obvious at first sight, is that an 
engine runs much better 'and lasts longer if fitted with long 
pistons, and has the gudgeon pin in the correct position. 
The Argyll pistons are unusually long, and very carefully 
fitted. The most striking improvement, so far as the engine 
is concerned, lies in the adoption of their new patent 
carburettor. 

Realising that a great deal of the excellence of an engine 
depends on the carburettor, the Argyll Company some time 
ago started an extensive series of experiments, both with 
existing carburettors and new designs of their own, and as a 
result claim to have produced one superior to any at present 
obtainable. With this carburettor it is possible to flush the 
engine with pure air. This acts as a brake, and at the same 
time tends to keep the plugs clean, and by destroying the 
vacuum produced on a closed throttle, prevents oil from 
being sucked up the sides of the pistons. The auxiliary air 
can also be adjusted by means of the throttle lever. 

It will be noticed that there are no sharp bends or pockets 
in the design, and in practice the picking up and slow running 


SOME CARS OF OUR OWN TIME 167 

qualities are remarkable, while a substantial increase in power 
and petrol economy is also obtained. 

The control of the car, and, in fact, of all Argyll cars, 
consists of two small levers placed on the top of the steering- 
wheel, the control lever being placed in such a place that it 
can be conveniently operated with the left hand, and the 
ignition lever placed convenient for the right hand. This 
arrangement, taken in conjunction with the arrangement of 
the foot pedals, the left one of which operates the clutch, and 
the right one the foot brake, is considered ideal, as you have 
a pedal for each foot and a lever for each hand. Nothing, in 
fact, could possibly be simpler. 

A much appreciated refinement is the friction control of 
the throttle and ignition levers. There are no triggers to 
pull or levers to depress ; a slight touch either way and the 
thing is done, with a delicacy of adjustment impossible with 
any form of rack control. 

After trying all sorts of leather, metal-to-metal, hydraulic 
and electric clutches, the flat plate clutch is still retained, 
having proved itself in smooth picking up, instant release, 
and holding power, superior to all others. To show how 
flexible the clutch and engine are, it is possible to allow the 
car to run backwards down a hill, and to pick up on the 
top speed. 

The gear-box and gate-control are also parts which it 
has been found impossible to improve upon, and they are 
therefore retained. The short rigid shafts, spring control, 
wheels always in mesh, dog clutches, and positive stop for 
change-speed levers, are outstanding points of great merit. 

Mention might be made of the neat and effective way in 
which the universal joints are enclosed by means of pressed 
steel hoods, packed with grease to prevent the annoying wear 
which often occurs in these parts. 

Last year’s back axle has given so much satisfaction that 
all its many features are retained. To make assurance doubly 
sure, however, the wheels are now mounted on the sleeves, and 
as ball bearings are fitted throughout, the utmost confidence 
may be placed in this important part of the car. 


THE AMATEUR MOTORIST 


168 

Not only do the individual parts of an Argyll car pass a 
most rigid inspection, but assembled parts, such as the engine, 
gear-box, and back axle are all run in for long periods before 
being assembled in the cars, thereby ensuring quiet running, 
and forming the skin on bearing surfaces which is so essential 
to their lasting qualities. 

The new 40-h.p. engine has a particularly clean and 
mechanical look. Nothing is crowded, and everything is 
simple. All the valves are on one side, and an enlarged 
edition of the 14-16 carburettor is used. As the pump and 
carburettor are on one side, and the magneto and steering- 
gear box are on the other, a pleasing balance is preserved, 
while obtaining the utmost accessibility. 

The four cylinders are cast in pairs, and fitted with a 
duplex system of high-tension magneto and accumulator 
ignition. The high-tension magneto may now be said to 
equal the low tension in reliability, while the accumulators 
give an easy means of starting. The flat plate clutch is. 
adopted for this model, great care being taken to obtain 
plates of the proper hardness. 

In this model a four-speed gear-box is used, having the 
direct drive on the third. This is now the accepted practice 
for high-powered cars, and possesses the advantage of doing 
practically all the running on the direct drive, leaving the 
fourth speed an indirect drive for the very occasional bursts 
of extreme speed which it is possible to obtain in this 
country. 

The counter shafts run on single ball bearings, while 
double ball bearings are provided at each end of the main 
shaft, to take up the severe bending strains which come on 
these parts. The three-point suspension adds a finishing 
touch to a very compact and efficient gear-box. 

The selector type of gate change is used, and a particularly 
effective design allows a delightfully easy and smooth change 
to be effected, the four forward speeds and reverse being 
operated by the same lever. 

The back axle is also a very clean-looking job, and is of a 
different design for this heavier type of car. 



SOME CARS OF OUR OWN TIME 


69 


In order to obtain the utmost strength for a given weight, 
the back axle casing is continuous across the driving-wheel, 
This places the cover lacing the back of the car where it can 
very readily be got at. 

The internal parts are so designed that it is possible to 
take out the driving-wheel and differentials without jacking 
up the car or otherwise distributing the axle. The road 
wheels, pinion spindle, etc., all run on ball bearings, causing 
a very .sweet running axle, and ensuring the maximum 
efficiency. 

The front axle is of unique and pleasing design. It is 
pressed out of steel plate, with solid ends forged on. In this 
way, neatness, strength, and lightness are combined to an 
extent which is well worth the attention of the intending 
purchaser. 

In the above remarks, nothing has been said of the body 
work. Not that there is nothing to be said, but in these 
matters, personal taste comes so much into play that the 
number of designs is legion. 

Suffice it to say that with the elaborate facilities obtainable 
at Alexandria, an extremely high standard of finish is main¬ 
tained in coachwork as in all other details. 

Specification of 40-kp. Engine 

Engine .—Four cylinders. Cylinders cast in pairs. 120-mm. 
bore by 140-mm. stroke. All valves on one side, and 
interchangeable. Water circulation by means of gear-driven 
pump. Patent combined carburettor and throttle, the latter 
being vertical and placed close up to the cylinders. 

Ltibrication .—Forced feed by means of pump driven from 
rear end of cam-shaft. 

Cooling .—Honeycomb radiator assisted by large and efficient 
fan. 

Ignitioft .—Dual system. High-tension magneto, gear- 
driven, also battery and coil. 

###### 

The Argyll Company has always appealed to the man of 
moderate means. It is a great organisation conducted with 


70 


THE AMATEUR MOTORIST 


an excellent activity, and keenly alive to the requirements of 
the hour. The 14-16-h.p. car, at a price of ;^375, has amazed 
even enthusiastic owners. There is probably no car upon 
the market which, cceteris paribus^ picks up so wonderfully 
or is more speedy upon hills. As other companies, the 
Argyll has known its misfortunes. But it has overcome 
them triumphantly, and the 40-h.p. car just now appearing 
upon the market cannot fail to interest a large public always 
interested in Argyll doings and very willing to recognise its 
directors’ achievements. The price of this fine pattern is to 
be ;^65 o ; but Argylls, of course, are to be had from £340 
upwards. 


The ArrolJohnson Car 

There was a day when the South was not very kind to the 
Arrol-Johnson car. That was not a stone, but a wooden age, 
when monstrous vehicles came out of Scotland and terrified 
the people. Those who knew, however, were always loud in 
praise of the enduring qualities of the Scottish engine and of 
its reliability. When an Arrol-Johnson won the first Tourist 
Trophy Race in the Isle of Man opinions swung round in a 
minute, and the South recognised that this was a car to be 
reckoned with. 

The Arrol-Johnson Company caters for those who desire 
vehicles of moderate power and of great reliability. Their 
new engines have many pleasing qualities ; but, above all, 
they give very little trouble. It is, perhaps, the premier of 
the purely Scottish cars, and as such entitled to just honour. 


The Brasier 

The Brasier car of 1908 is a marked improvement on 
previous models. Reliability has always been the aim of the 
makers of this car ever since the first model was produced 
in 1902, and that this aim has been accomplished is evidenced 
by the extraordinary success of the Brasier car in competitions. 
Winners of the Gordon-Bennet Race in 1904 and 1905, they 


SOME CARS OF OUR OWN TIME 


17 


were the only team to finish in the Grand Prix of 1906 and 
1907, besides gaining the gold medal in the Scotch Reliability 
Trials, 1906, and scoring non-stop runs in the Irish and 
Scotch Reliability Trials of 1907. With these records to its 
credit, it may be granted that the Brasier car is reliable in no 
ordinary degree. 

Second only to their reliability is their extreme simplicity. 
The ignition is by low-tension magneto only, and the lubri¬ 
cator (by Hamelle) is mechanical, the oil being forced to the 
engine and bearings by pumps. This lubricator is absolutely 
reliable, and so long as there is any oil in the box it can be 
relied on to work. Each of the five pumps is independently 
adjustable, and as naturally the amount of oil distributed to 
the engine is proportionate to its speed, a more perfect system 
of lubrication could not be found. Special arrangements are 
made for turning off the oil, which is pumped direct to the 
cylinders and crank-chamber so as to avoid any possibility of 
smoking in towns, the splash in the base-chamber being quite 
sufficient for the engine when it is not working at full power. 

The control is by means of the throttle only, the spark 
being fixed, and the car can be driven either by a hand-lever 
on the steering-wheel or by the foot accelerator. It is usual 
to set the hand-lever to a slow speed and drive with the foot, 
thus leaving the hand free. The steering is extremely simple; 
it is absolutely irreversible, and, being mounted on ball 
bearings, is remarkably sensitive and gives no jerks, nor is 
the vibration of the road wheels felt when travelling at fast 
speed. 

The carburettor, which is heated from the exhaust in the 
i6-h.p. and from the pump in the 30-h.p. car, is a horizontal 
one with an entirely new supplementary air-valve. It is 
entirely automatic and consists of a cylinder and piston ; as 
the suction of the carburettor increases with the speed of the 
engine, so the piston is lifted up and allows the supplementary 
air to enter in the lower parts. This makes an extremely 
sensitive and economical carburettor, and in the 30-40-h.p. 
the car can be easily driven twenty to twenty-five miles on 
one gallon of spirit according to the gearing of the car and 


172 


THE AMATEUR MOTORIST 


the nature of the road. As spirit is now largely increasing 
in price, the economy will be much appreciated by owners of 
Brasier cars. 

The chassis is still made of pressed steel and reinforced by 
a tubular underframe. In this years car the height of the 
chassis from the ground has been lowered : it is now 24 inches 
instead of 28. The front of the chassis is curved in, and the 
track of the wheels enlarged, so that the 1908 Brasier has 
very rakish and pleasing lines. 

The gears are practically everlasting, it being the rarest 
occurrence for a new gear wheel to be required, and the 
change of speed is by the gate system. Ball-bearings are 
employed wherever possible in engine, gear-box, back axle, 
hubs, and steering, and the brakes are extremely powerful. 

The Brasier is supplied in three sizes : 12-15 h.p., 

16-26 h.p., and 30-40 h.p., the small car being gear- 
driven, and the other models gear- or chain-driven as 
required. One of the chief features of the car is that 
lightness has been attained without sacrificing strength, and 
the tyre bill of the owner of a Brasier touring car is, given 
decent driving, a low one. 

The manner in which the cars are sprung deserves men¬ 
tion, as not only are very powerful springs fitted, but shock- 
absorbers are also supplied fore and aft, which makes it 
possible to use the cars with comfort over the worst roads. 
Hence their popularity in Ireland, where the roads are the 
worst in the United Kingdom. 

I have known the Richard Brasier for many years. Many 
of my friends were enthusiasts in the old days of the Georges- 
Richard, the firm which first put this excellent car upon the 
market. It was then known for many simple and striking 
innovations, thoroughly characteristic of a French engineer. 
The system of low-tension ignition on the Richard Brasier 
cars has always been one of the best and most reliable ; and 
although not too accessible in the old days, the question of 
accessibility rarely troubled the users. 


SOME CARS OF OUR OWN TIME 


173 


The cars have always been on the light side; but their 
wearing qualities, in spite of this, are noteworthy. Foolish 
prophets were only too ready to tell us after Thdry’s great 
victories on the Brasier car that it was not designed for 
touring. No greater mistake could be made. One of my 
friends has used an old 24-h.p. Georges-Richard for five 
years—driving it thousands of miles in England and France 
—and finds it but little the worse for its many adventures. 

It has always been an exceedingly cheap car, at a price of 
between £600 and £joo ; but its newer models are even better 
value for the money. 


Brooke Car 

Mr. Mawdsley Brooke, of Lowestoft, is a young engineer 
who has learnt much during the last few years. He is one of 
the first to admit the shortcomings of some of his more ancient 
vehicles ; but he has adapted himself to modern requirements 
with praiseworthy diligence, and is to-day as capable of 
building the highest class of car as any engineer in the 
country. 

The firm has lately taken to the production of a six- 
cylinder car, which has been successfully submitted to the 
ordeal of a thousand miles trial. The new model to be put 
upon the market for the year 1908 promises to be both a 
speedy and a luxurious vehicle. It is quite one of the 
cheapest six-cylinder cars made, at a price of ;^750, and 
strikingly handsome. 

This firm is, of course, quite notorious for the excellence of 
its motor-boats. 


Charron Car 

In the year 1901, upon the great road to Bordeaux, I 
witnessed the fine driving of three noted Frenchmen— 
Messieurs Charron, Girardot, and Voigt. Within a year 
these three had combined to produce the famous Charron 
cars. Of the highest class from the first, the Charron has 


174 


THE AMATEUR MOTORIST 


never looked back. Quite the most striking carriage I saw 
in the year 1907 was a 40-h.p. Charron, in the garage at 
the University Arms at Cambridge. This engine possesses 
all the famous Panhard qualities, and has added something 
to them. Its durability is very praiseworthy. There are 
connoisseurs who will tell you that the Charron is the finest 
of all French cars—it is not impossible that they are right. 

No doubt the high price charged for a Charron has done 
something to militate against its popularity; but there is no 
reason why this should be the case. A Charron is as well 
worth the price charged for it as any car upon the market. 
Men do not sell their Charrons, they keep them. 


The Clement 

BY A. MOSSES 

For length of life we have yet to see the car likely to 
attain a greater or more honourable old age than the Clement. 
Cars of the Clement manufacture built in 1901 and 1902 are 
still running about as gaily as ever. I remember that 
Colonel Bosworth, chairman of the Automobile Association, 
was kind enough to write to The Cm' Illustrated in 1906, 
giving his reasons for selecting a Clement to carry him 
in his very important and useful travels in connection with 
the Society. The gallant Colonel remarked : 

“ Because I drove a Clement car fifty thousand miles (a 
distance approximately equivalent to twice round the world), 
without the slightest mishap except a broken wheel, the 
consequence of severe impact with a spur-stone, occasioned 
by a bad side-slip. The last time I sat in her she went as well 
as ever, and showed a clean pair of heels to a friend of mine 
who was driving a costly vehicle of very well-known make, 
and of considerably higher power; moreover, our relations 
terminated most satisfactorily, for I sold her exceedingly well. 
On the principle, then, that ‘ one thinks highly of the bridge 
that carried him over’ I ordered another Clement!” 

I remember driving with my friend, Mr. Ben Wayte, of 


SOME CARS OF OUR OWN TIME 


175 


Dublin, from Dublin to Belfast, over 100 miles, in less than 
four hours, using less than four gallons of petrol, on a little 
i2-i6-h.p. Clement constructed in 1903, which, in one of the 
best-known hiring businesses in the United Kingdom, had 
covered 60,000 miles in its arduous life. 

Mr. Money-Coutts is kind enough to write me, that the 
little i2-i6-h.p. Clement (his adventures on which have 
been so ably set forth by him in The Badminton), now well 
on in her fourth year of life, runs as well as ever. He states 
that he got Messrs. Thrupp & Maberley to build a new body 
for her, and that she looks quite up to date. 

I claim for the Clement that no car is more economical 
in running, and I bear in mind that the io-12-h.p. Cldment 
driven by Mr. P. Hallinan in the Irish Trials of 1905, made 
the extraordinary performance of 46 ton miles to the gallon; 
that George Brand in last year’s Tourist Trophy Race was 
successful in covering the arduous Isle of Man course on 
less petrol per ton mile than any other of the numerous 
competitors ; that this year in the Scottish Trials, out of 
twenty cars in its class the i8-h.p. Clement was successful 
in obtaining third position for petrol consumption, averaging 
more than 23J miles to the gallon, over the worst roads 
and hills in the United Kingdom, despite the fact that most 
of the roads were on several days like ploughed fields on 
account of the heavy rains. 

Economy in running, too, is shown by the kindness of the 
Clement to its tyres. Those used in the Scottish Trials had 
covered over 1,000 miles previous to setting out for Scotland. 
I drove from London to Glasgow (a distance in a roundabout 
way of 450 miles), through the Scottish Trials (a further 
750 miles), back to London (a further 450 miles), and the 
same tyres are running now, and look good for another 
1,000 miles at the least. 

Again, silence has always been a strong feature of the 
Clement. In 1902 and 1903 the Clement cars were considered 
among the quietest on the market; and although since that 
date it has almost been a sine qud non for cars to be noiseless, 
the Clement still upholds her reputation, and I agree with 


76 


THE AMATEUR MOTORIST 


our many friends, who still speak very highly of it in this 
regard. 

Last, but not least, I claim that no trouble has been spared 
by the manufacturers to employ the very latest methods and 
adopt the very latest improvements in Clement construction. 
Unlike the usual practice of building many cars in huge 
batches of i,ooo to 2,000, the Clement cars are built only 
in series of 40 to 50; and in the event of its being possible 
to apply any new ideas, these are effected without delay. 
Thus a Clement buyer may have either propeller-drive or 
chain-drive, high-tension trembler coil ignition in conjunction 
with magneto, operated from the same switch, or two entirely 
independent ignitions. Chain-cases are fitted to all chain- 
driven cars, rendering this type as quiet as a propeller-driven 
type, with the advantage that a change of ratio can be 
obtained quite quickly, and with little trouble. 

So simple is the control that a child may drive a Clement 
car, providing the police authorities would be kind enough 
to allow it, and the fact that there are several ladies who 
have driven their own Clement many thousands of miles 
incontestably justifies the Clement claims for reliability and 
simplicity of control. 


The Crosslcy 

BY CHARLES JARROTT 

In the first place, it is a continual source of gratification 
to me to know that I am selling a car manufactured by a firm 
of such wide-world reputation as Crossley Bros., Ltd., of 
Openshaw, Manchester, the famous gas-engine makers. 

The manufacture of thousands of internal combustion 
engines by Messrs. Crossley, of Openshaw, Manchester, during 
the past few years has resulted in their obtaining an experience 
quite unique amongst motor-car builders, and I think the first 
point I would claim for the Crossley car is that in it the wide 
and varied experience of many years is shown to the full. 
As everybody knows, experience always tells, and I cannot 


SOME CARS OF OUR OWN TIME 


177 


help but think that the Crossley car has an advantage over 
every other make of car by reason of the experience of its 
builders. Secondly, apart from the ordinary workshop ex¬ 
perience of Messrs. Crossley, their car has received the benefit 
of my ten years of road experience. One does not drive 
many thousands of miles on practically every type of car 
without learning a great deal. Nearly every car has its good 
points, and it is only by use on the road that each good point 
is appreciated ; and in the design of the Crossley the makers 
have endeavoured to embody each good point, based on hard 
practical road experience. 

Now, in connection with the other features of the Crossley, 
it will be well to study them one by one, in order to see 
exactly how the manufacturers hav^c succeeded in building 
an up-to-date, luxurious mjtor-vehicle, capable of fulfilling 
the requirements of every reasonable user. 

One of the principal ideas underlying the Crossley design 
is that the car should be reliable. Reliability is an absolute 
necessity—no trouble, no breakdowns, and the po.ssibility of 
mapping out a time-table and of running to it to a minute. 
I do not think I am exaggerating when I say that the chief 
cause of trouble in connection with up-to-date automobiles is 
with the ignition. Arguments for and against one form of 
ignition and another are put forward by various and interested 
persons ; but in the construction of the Crossley the makers 
were not prejudiced in any way, but had one idea—namely, 
to select that which gave the least trouble. They therefore 
followed the lead of the famous Mercedes, and fitted low 
tension ; and I do not think that the greatest opponent of 
low-tension magneto ignition can deny that it can be relied 
upon absolutely. The ignition is mechanical, automatic, and 
simple, and therefore one of the best points to be claimed for 
the Crossley car is that it is fitted with low-tension magneto 
ignition. 

Lubrication is another very important matter in connection 
with a motor, and this is also achieved automatically and in 
such a manner as to make it certain of the engine receiving 
its proper quantity of lubricating fluid. Clutch troubles are 

12 


THE AMATEUR MOTORIST 


1^8 

unknown on the Crossley car, because the clutch is of the 
metal-to-metal type, is absolutely positive, and adjustment is 
simple ; this is therefore another feature which makes for 
reliability in the car. 

After reliability comfort is demanded, and here again the 
knowledge of what is necessary to secure luxurious suspension 
is employed. The Crossley is fitted with exceedingly long 
springs to counteract road shocks and to render the car 
comfortable at any speed. In place of the usual spring 
hangers attached to the rear of the frame, semi-top springs 
are employed to assist the springing of the car. The gate 
change-speed is arranged in such a form as to do away 
entirely with the shock of changing gear which is experienced 
on most cars. 

Silence.—Any one hearing the Crossley engine run is 
astounded by its extraordinary silence. Only one model is 
made—namely, 30-40 h.p., giving about 45 b.h.p.; and to 
hear the engine tick slowly round, so silently as to make 
it almost impossible when on the car to know whether it is 
running or not, is an education in itself on the capabilities of 
a really great firm of motor makers. Silent running is as 
necessary as a silent engine ; and on this point it will be 
noticed that the Crossley has entirely given up the use of 
chains, and that the top speed is direct to the back axle, so 
that the movement of the car is without noise and without 
shock—in fact, really luxurious movement is achieved. 

Ease of Control.—One of the most important things in 
connection with a powerful car is that all its various functions 
should be carried out in such a manner as to leave the car 
entirely under control of the driver at any and every speed, 
quick to respond to the throttle, and easy to control on the 
brakes, whilst at the same time the steering should be so 
free and comfortable to manipulate as to render the car 
controllable by the driver with only one hand. 

The ease with which change of speed is effected on the 
Crossley car is extraordinary. It can be said of very few 
cars that the gear can be changed from second to third and 
from third to fourth speed without declutching; yet this is 


SOME CARS OF OUR OWN TIME 


179 

possible on the Crossley car without the slightest difficulty or 
damage to the car. 

There is one feature in connection with this car which 
always appeals to me—as it does when I find it in any other 
make—and the only word I can describe it by is “ life.” A 
“ sluggish ” car is irritating. Quickness to respond, sensitive¬ 
ness to every movement of the throttle, and obedience to 
every advance of the sparking-lever—these are a few charac¬ 
teristics of a really lively car, and they are certainly to be 
found in the Crossley to perfection. 

No expense has been spared in turning out a vehicle 
worthy of Crossley Brothers’ great reputation ; the best of 
everything has been employed ; the detail finish is excellent; 
while the material is such as that specified by Crossleys 
themselves, and no one perhaps has had more experience. 

This fine car, as Mr. Jarrott points out, is made by the 
great firm of Crossley, of Manchester, the most considerable 
manufacturers of gas engines in the world. It is not at all 
astonishing that Messrs. Crossley should turn to the motor 
industry for a development of their business. Perhaps .some 
of us were .surprised that they did not enter the ranks at 
the outset. 

Their last production is a car I have had the privilege of 
trying in Mr. Charles Jarrott’s company. I have said very 
willingly that I consider it in many respects the finest car 
that I tried during the year 1907. Not, perhaps, as efficient 
upon hills as the famous 40-h.p. Weigel, it posse.sses, none 
the less, such striking qualities of silence, flexibility, and 
vibration that nothing but praise is possible. The 30-40-h.p. 
model, which is the standard at the present, is a ridiculously 
cheap car at ;^700. In fact, there is nothing better at the 
price upon the market. 


i8o 


THE AMATEUR MOTORIST 


The Daimler 

BY E. M. C. INSTONE 

Briefly expressed, the points claimed for Daimler carriages 
are : reliability ; efficiency ; simplicity ; accessibility ; ease of 
control; and last, but not least, cheapness of price per 
horse-power. 

The claim for reliability appeals in particular to the 
hesitating purchaser of a motor vehicle, especially if the 
claim can be substantiated, as can be all Daimler claims. 
Reference to the records of the Reliability Trials organised 
by the leading Automobile Clubs, and to the book of testi¬ 
monials published by the Daimler Company, will establish 
the fact that Daimler cars hold a unique position in the 
matter of reliability. To enumerate even one-tenth of these 
public and private records would be to occupy more space 
than I have at my disposal, and hardly a month goes by 
without some fresh performance being added to the list. 
Only a few days ago news came to hand that in the recent 
Aga-Khan Reliability Trials in India a 30-h.p, Daimler was 
one of the few vehicles which made an absolutely non-stop 
run throughout the competition. Private testimony also is 
continually forthcoming ; and a book of testimonials which 
the Daimler Company is about to publish, showing letters 
in facsimile, will, I am sure, afford instructive reading to all 
who arc interested in automobilism. 

Of practically equal importance to reliability there is the 
quality of efficiency, and here again the claim for Daimler is 
substantiated by many undeniable proofs. Nothing demon¬ 
strates better the efficiency of a car than its hill-climbing 
performances, and I have no hesitation in saying that the 
Daimler record during the last three seasons takes pride of 
place. The performances achieved are all the more striking 
when it is considered that they have been made by standard 
Daimler cars which have been usually entered and driven by 
private owners. The record, therefore, which the Daimler 
Company can point to has not been achieved by the aid of 


SOME CARS OF OUR OWN TIME i8i 

specially prepared and professionally driven vehicles, and this 
is a point which appeals largely to those acquainted with the 
inner workings of the automobile trade. 

Simplicity of construction is Daimler’s third claim, and no 
one who has examined a modern Daimler chassis can have 
failed to have noticed the absence of those superfluous and 
complicated fittings which many makers attach to their 
vehicles, apparently with the sole object of securing selling 
points. The elimination of these so-called “features” renders 
the Daimler chassis altogether remarkable for its clean un¬ 
encumbered lines. This very simplicity of design materially 
supports Daimler’s fourth claim—the claim of accessibility. 

The maker of the intricate car not infrequently puts forward 
the argument that the design of his vehicle is purposely 
intricate to avoid the possibility of the private owner 
unnecessarily tampering with the working parts of the car; 
but I am of opinion that this argument is but a mere excuse, 
and that it finds small favour indeed with the practical 
automobilist. The ingenious design of the Daimler engine, 
base-chamber, the gear and cross-shaft cases, the commutator 
box, the hinged body, and other features special to Daimler 
cars all tend to allow of ready verification of moving parts, 
and the importance of this cannot, in my opinion, be over¬ 
estimated. 

The next Daimler claim is ease of control, and on this 
score I have no fear either of contradiction or even question. 
The Daimler practice of speed-change mechanism, by which 
each change of speed is effected by a full and positive stroke 
of a single lever, is too well known and appreciated to call 
for any lengthy description here. The use of this Daimler 
practice would in itself be almost sufficient to warrant one 
claiming ease of control for the Daimler car ; but there is in 
addition the single lever engine control, which, placed above 
but independent from the steering-wheel, actuates both ignition 
and throttle, and permits the driver to obtain practically every 
variation of speed by the pressure of a finger. Yes, unques¬ 
tionably the Daimler has every right to claim “ ease of 
control.” 


i 82 


THE AMATEUR MOTORIST 


As the sixth, and last, claim, I can perhaps for proof best 
refer my readers to that most interesting table drawn up by 
Mr. O’Gorman some months ago, and in which it is clearly 
shown that the Daimler has every right to the claim to be 
the lowest priced chassis per horse-power among all high-class 
vehicles. This is an all-important fact to purchasers, and 
more especially when it is considered that it is not brought 
about by the employment of either inferior material or 
workmanship. Everything in the Daimler is of the best; 
indeed, the car has been appropriately described in the 
press as “ the motor triumph of the Edwardian era.” 

The Daimler cars for 1908 are as follows : 

Live-Axle Models. 

Type “A,” 9 ft. wheel-base chassis fitted with— 

{a) 30-b.h.p. four-cylinder engine. 
iU) 38-b.h.p. four-cylinder engine. 

Chain-Drive Models. 

Type “ B,” io| ft. wheel-base chassis fitted with— 

{a) 42-b.h.p. four-cylinder engine. 

(^) 58-b.h.p. four-cylinder engine. 

Type “ C,” IIJ ft. wheel-base chassis fitted with— 

{a) 42-b.h.p. four-cylinder engine. 

{J?) 58-b.h.p. four-cylinder engine. 

The horse-power quoted is in every case according to the 
Royal Automobile Club formula, and it is, 1 think, to be 
hoped that other manufacturers will also act upon the club’s 
suggestion in this respect, and so enable the buying public to 
make, on a common basis, direct comparisons between the 
products of various firms. 

The live-axle model is of entirely new design, with a bevel- 
gear live-axle transmission. The smooth and silent running 
of the engine has been ensured by enclosing the engine gears 
and cams. The usual Daimler design of a sloping valve and 
rocking lever lifter are retained, but there are being introduced 


SOME CARS OF OUR OWN TIME 183 

several important modifications in detailed construction. The 
transmission gives four speeds forward and a reverse, and has 
a direct drive on the third speed. Great care has been taken 
with the design of the universal joints, which have large 
working surfaces, and are arranged to be perfectly oil-tight 
and dirt-excluding. It is possible to take out all the driving- 
gear from the live axle, and leave the axle itself fixed to the 
car. Its casing is made in one piece from pressed steel, and 
presents a particularly clear appearance. The foot brakes 
are external bands operating on drums on the rear wheels, 
while the hand brake acts on a drum on the propeller shaft 
immediately behind the gear-case. The dimensions of the 
chassis permit of the attachment of a roomy five-seated body 
with good side-entrances. 

Turning to the chain-drive models, my remarks on the 
engines fitted to the live-axle types also apply. The trans¬ 
mission has been rendered particularly silent by the adoption 
of a direct drive on the third speed, worm gearing in the gear- 
case, and a really sound and satisfactory design of chain-case. 
The chain-cases, which also form the radius rods, are made 
from light aluminium castings, and are absolutely oil-tight; 
they ensure the chain running at all times in a lubricated and 
clean condition. It is easy to adjust and inspect the chains, 
or entirely to remove the cases. 

In the gear case itself there are two pairs of worms, one 
transmitting power when the direct third is engaged ; the 
other when the first, second, fourth, or reverse gears are in 
mesh. As in the case of the live-axle model, the foot brakes 
act on the back-wheel drums. The hand brake operates on 
an extension of one of the worm-gear shafts in the gear-case. 

These chain-driven chassis are of such dimensions as to 
permit of the attachment of most luxurious touring carriages, 
affording ample space both for passengers and luggage. That 
these particular features are appreciated is shown by the 
extraordinary number of long wheel-base carriages sold by 
the company during the past two years, and there is every 
indication that in the new vehicles motor tourists will find 
that ease of travelling and accommodation which they ask for. 


THE AMATEUR MOTORIST 


184 


The Darracq 

Monsieur Darracq has catered for the million. He has had 
his reward. No speedier cars for their horse-power than the 
15-h.p. Darracqs have ever been built. 

The company has lately introduced a six-cylinder car, of 
which we shall hear more. 


De Dion Bouton 

Mr. J. W. Stocks sends me the followins 
De Dion Bouton models for 1908: 


account of the 


8-h.p. model A.L. 2, single cylinder. 
8-h.p. „ B.G. „ „ 

12-14-h.p. „ B.H. four „ 

18-h.p. „ B.I. „ „ 

30-h.p. „ B.J. „ „ 


Z-h.p. Model A.L. 2.—The specification of this chassis will 
remain practically as before, i.e. tubular frame one length only 
for two-seated or tonneau bodies, 100 x 120 engine with 
automatic inlet valves and expanding clutch gear. It will, 
however, have a front axle which will be in pressed steel of a 
grooved, curved section, and the wheels will be 750 x 85 
instead of 709 x 88 as heretofore. 

The chassis will be listed at ^^185 minus tyres. The 
tyres, which will be larger than before, will cost whatever 
extra the Tyre Companies’ list may be during 1908, and 
carriage bodies approximately the same price as last year. 

Complete car with two-seated body, £2^0. 

„ „ „ four-seated tonneau, ;^25o. 

Z-h.p. Model B.G .—The specification of this chassis in two 
lengths will remain as before, i.e. pressed steel frame 100-120 
single-cylinder engine with mechanically operated inlet valve 
and automatic pump lubrication and De Dion patent plate 
clutch. The only modification will be in the gear, which will be 


SOME CARS OF OUR OWN TIME 


85 


on the same double sliding pinion principle with vertical gate 
change as the 1907 lo-h.p. and 30-h.p. models. The list price 
of the chassis minus tyres will be £22^. 

Complete with two-seated body, £2^0. 

„ „ four-seated tonneau, £2(^. 

12-14-//./. Model B.H .—This will be an entirely new model, 
and one for which there should be a huge demand. The 
engine will have four cylinders cast in pairs, M.O.V.’s., 
75 mm. bore, 100 mm. stroke, developing about 18 h.p., on 
the brake, with automatic lubrication, and will be fitted with 
high-tension magneto only. The carburettor will be automatic 
and only the throttle lever on the steering-wheel. It will 
have a light pressed-steel chassis, in two lengths, on the 
same line as the present lO-h.p. A.V., with a similar gear 
on the double sliding principle, three forward speeds and 
reverse. Wheels 810 or 90. 

This car is a marvellous success, and has passed through 
its experimental stages on the road, and the results have 
surprised even the works themselves—which is saying a 
great deal—in regard to speed, hill-climbing, and silence in 
running. 

The chassis minus tyres will be listed at £2)ZO. With tyres 
£160. 

Complete with side entrance double phaeton body, painted 
to choice, ;^425. 

iZ-hp. Model . 5 ./.—This will be practically a new chassis 
throughout, having an entirely new engine with four cylinders, 
90-110 cast in pairs, M.O.V’s., double ignition, high-tension 
magneto, and dry battery, although it will be quite easy to 
start the engine on the magneto, to which a trembler will be 
fitted. The distributor will be found in the same position as 
on current models. An automatic carburettor will be fitted. 

The chassis will be made of pressed steel with four forward 
speeds and direct drive on the fourth. Wheels 820 x 120. 
List price of chassis minus tyres, ;£‘475. 

30-//./. Model B.J .—The engine with M.O.V’s., and separate 
cylinders will remain the same as at present, but the gear will 


THE AMATEUR MOTORIST 


186 

have direct drive on fourth as on the new iS^h.p. model. 
List price of chassis minus tyres, £6^0. 

* * # 

How much motorists owe to Count De Dion Bouton is 
understood, 1 think, but by few. It is my own opinion that 
his single-cylinder car did as much as anything to save the 
movement in its early days. Certainly, if it had not been for 
Count De Dion and the late Monsieur Levassor, the story of 
the motor-car would be very different. 

That the single-cylinder De Dion is the finest single-cylinder 
car ever built I do not think there can be a doubt. Were I 
myself called upon to spend any sum less than £400 upon a 
motor-car, I should unhesitatingly buy a De Dion. Even to 
this day there are scores of little 4j-h.p. De Dions running 
about the country and giving their owners satisfaction enough. 
And some of these cars were built at the very beginning of 
the movement. 

Whatever success De Dions may have with their larger 
models, it is to their small car that the motorist will turn with 
gratitude and continued expectation. Let it be said, also, that 
as a car for a lady to drive there can be few rivals to the 
De Dion Bouton. 

The DeIaunay<BeIIeviIIe 

BY THE LONDON REPRESENTATIVE 

The popularity of the Delaunay-Belleville car has pro¬ 
gressed steadily since its introduction. Time is a great test 
of merit, and it speaks volumes for the Delaunay-Belleville 
that it stands practically alone as the car which has stood the 
test of three years without modification or radical alteration 
from the first chassis shown at the Paris Salon in 1904. 
Unlike any other car the Delaunay-Belleville does not have 
its body bolted to the frame in a complex manner which 
would make its removal, if necessary, a difficult task. The 
body is merely secured to the frame by four bolts, and there 
are no tubes, no wires, no connections of any kind to act as 


SOME CARS OF OUR OWN TIME 


187 


impedimenta. Thus, should it be suddenly desired to use a 
closed body instead of the light open one, or vice versdy the 
transformation can be effected in a very few minutes. The 
advantage of this ease in removal of the body will be appre¬ 
ciated too in a case of accident or breakdown. Some part 
of the underframe, say, requires attention. In about ten 
minutes the bolts have been removed, the body pushed back 
on the longitudinal bars, and access is gained to the faulty 
part. 

Another prominent feature of the Delaunay-Belleville is the 
metal-sheet covering which completely encloses the underpart 
of the frame—in front as well as at the back. This has the 
result of keeping the machinery quite free from dirt and dust 
and renders the cleaning of the car a comparatively simple 
matter. In this underpart covering are to be found two little 
doors which open and shut by a spring device. These enable 
one to inspect the most remote part of the motor’s mechanism 
and to adjust the brakes without running any risk of soiling 
one’s clothes in the process. 

The underpart covering has another advantage about it 
which may be dwelt upon. By being rounded in the centre 
and sloping off to fine points at the back and front, it reduces 
the atmospheric pressure to a minimum, and prevents as 
much as it is possible to do the clouds of dust which are 
generally raised at the rear of a car when travelling. 

The Delaunay-Belleville Works confine themselves to four- 
cylinder cars. This season’s cars are of the following three 
types: 

20-h.p. cars giving a brake h.p. of 28. 

28-h.p. cars giving a brake h.p. of 36. 

Lastly, 40-h.p. cars giving a brake h.p. of 50. 

The general scheme is the same for the three types of cars. 
The makers, however, have made the 20-h.p. chassis in two 
types, the one driven by chains and the other Cardan drive, 
whilst in the two larger cars, viz. the 28-h.p. and the 40-h.p., 
the power is transmitted by means of chains only. 

Each of the four cylinders is separate, and its two faces 
arc symmetrical. Consequently one of the sides of the motor 


i88 


THE AMATEUR MOTORIST 


carries a shaft with eight cams, four of which control the inlet 
and four the ignition. The other side carries a shaft with 
four cams, which control the exhaust. The former of these 
camshafts acts on the Simms-Bosch magnet by means of a 
special gear, whilst the latter causes the water circulation 
pump to work. 

A carburettor of very simple construction, which, however, 
is properly placed and especially well designed, all its details 
having been carefully thought out, is fed with hot air from 
below and with cold air from the side, through the opening 
of an automatic valve. A ball regulator enclosed in a gear- 
case, as is the whole of the distribution gear, forces out of its 
place in the central chamber a diaphragm, the shape of which 
has been thought out with a view to allowing the current of 
gas to be sucked up in a really progressive manner. This 
enables all the cogs of the toothed sector of the steering- 
wheel on which the manette is placed to produce an actual 
effect of increase or decrease of speed—an effect which has 
never yet been accomplished in connection with the majority 
of manettes, for it must be admitted that hitherto they 
chiefly influence the speed of the motor in two or three 
positions. 

The particular V-shape which has been given to the 
admission diaphragm of the carburettor is neither complicated 
nor sensational, but it nevertheless renders the motor ex¬ 
ceedingly supple and once more proves that it is to the 
improvement of details that engineers will have to devote 
their attention nowadays. 

The Delaunay-Belleville special system of lubrication is 
again a feature of the first importance. In our experience, 
many motors are lubricated from the outside, the heads of the 
connecting-rods coming into contact with the oil in the gear- 
cases, whilst the lubricator spurts oil on all the parts in 
motion and so on. In the Delaunay-Belleville car the 
lubrication is from the inside. The motor parts are hollow, 
and contain arteries (channels) through which the oil 
circulates, not only owing to its gravity or impelled by 
centrifugal force, but because the circulation is controlled by 


somp: cars of our own time 


189 


a species of heart, while a double-action pump is for ever 
raising and forcing the oil throughout the circulatory system. 
Thus the oil is sucked up into the bottom of the motor, and 
forced not only into the bearings of the motor shaft, but into 
the motor shaft itself—not only into the heads of the con¬ 
necting-rods, but into the rods themselves, right down to their 
lower extremities. 

This system, let me hasten to say, is new only so far as 
applied to motors. After having been patented by Messrs. 
Delaunay-Belleville in 1897, it has been applied to hundreds 
of steam-engines ranging in power from 10 h.p. to 6,800 h.p. 
It will, therefore, be seen that it did not win its good- 
conduct marks without having been put to the test prettily 
thoroughly ! 

The transmission gear (chain or live axle) of the Delaunay- 
Belleville motors is remarkably simple, consisting of a leather- 
lined cone and no further mechanical formalities, even in the 
case of the more powerful cars. The speed gear-case is short 
and compact, with ball-bearings throughout of large pro¬ 
portions. It gives four speeds forward and one backward 
motion. It is formed of two parallel shafts, one on top of 
the other, and in the case of three speeds the change is 
effected by a “ train ” formed by a little fork, and by returning 
the movement from one shaft to another, whilst the fourth 
speed is by direct drive. The reverse motion is effected 
by interposing two pinions, which are afterwards brought 
back into their original positions by means of a helical 
spring. 

It may be said in conclusion that every part of the 
Delaunay-Belleville’s mechanism is manufactured by the 
makers themselves at their famous Saint-Denis works ; only 
a few accessories, such as magnets and gauge-glasses, are 
obtained elsewhere. 

This car is the production of the great French boilermakers. 
It came to the front very swiftly. Oddly enough, one very 
rarely sees a Delaunay-Belleville in any other form than that 


THE AMATEUR MOTORIST 


190 

of a landaulette or limousine. For my part, I consider it 
to be rather a touring than a town carriage, although it is 
largely used as a town carriage. 

The work in it is of high class ; but there are those who 
say that it is somewhat a heavy car to drive. This objection 
I am unable to understand. There is nothing in Delauna)'- 
Belleville control different from the control of other cars. It 
is a powerful machine of the heavier kind, and one which 
appears to give very little trouble to its owners. Of the 
beauty of its finish I can speak from personal knowledge. 
In this respect there is nothing superior on the market 
to-day. 


The De Dietrich 

BY W. M. LETTS 

If I were to obtain the opinion of each user of the De 
Dietrich car as to the special feature he appreciates most in 
connection with his car, I am quite certain that with one 
accord the vote would be given to the feature of reliability. 
Other cars may have other claims, but the great De Dietrich 
claim is the important one of reliability combined with 
strength, and I am certain that no feature in any car can 
appeal to the user more strongly than this one. 

The story of the famous De Dietrich house is a matter of 
automobile history, and I have no doubt that the position 
which Messrs. De Dietrich hold in the automobile world at 
the present time is due in a large measure to the fact that 
they were manufacturing motor-vehicles when many of the 
firms whose names are to-day household words in the motor 
world, had not commenced to think of such an enterprise. 
Messrs. De Dietrich have never undertaken anything in a 
half-hearted manner, and in their factory will be found the 
pick of French automobile engineers. In addition to this 
the firm is largely indebted to the services of Messrs. Turcat 
& Mery, the famous Marseilles engineers, who were experi¬ 
menting, years before automobiles were allowed to run on 
English roads, in the perfecting of motor-vehicles ; therefore. 


SOME CARS OF OUR OWN TIME 


191 


the famous De Dietrich has as its sponsors men skilled in 
the craft of design. 

One thing I do not claim for the De Dietrich car, and that 
is, that it is a cheap car so far as initial cost is concerned ; 
but what I do say is, that the first cost is the last cost, and 
after all it is in the cost of up-keep that the expense of 
running a motor-car really occurs. We have had many flat¬ 
tering letters from users of the De Dietrich cars, all speaking 
in the highest terms, and the keynote of these letters has 
been that the car has cost practically nothing for up-keep. 
This proves to the full the success of the factory policy of 
never putting anything into the construction of a De Dietrich 
car until it has been properly tested, and it is quite certain 
that it is capable of fulfilling the work it has to perform with 
an ample margin of safety. 

• So I claim that so far as design and construction are con¬ 
cerned, the experience of Messrs. De Dietrich has enabled 
them to produce a car which for reliability is in the very 
forefront. The successes which have been achieved by the 
De Dietrich car in all parts of the world would fill many 
pages, and amongst the great reliability performances can be 
included the Circuit des Ardennes, the race for the Pyrenees 
Cup, and Delhi-Bombay contest; but the most wonderful 
exhibition of reliability given by the Die Dietrich cars was 
in the Circuit des Ardennes of 1906, when they finished first, 
third, fifth, and seventh. 

Now, as to the running of the car. Care in the fitting and 
adjustment of the works secures that regular running which 
is one of the chief characteristics of the car. The engine is 
silent and regular, this result being achieved by the De 
Dietrich system of carburettor and mechanically-operated 
valves. Flexibility is another interesting driving point; it 
only requires slight pressure on the auxiliary pedal, and the 
speed can be increased to four miles an hour, or forty, if 
necessary. The car is very easily controlled, simplicity is 
the keynote, and it is so easily manipulated that it is quite 
possible for a lady to drive it with ease. This is owing to the 
very effective clutch designed by Messrs. Turcat & Mery, 


192 


THE AMATEUR MOTORIST 


which was introduced for the first time on the car this year. 
It is very simple and cannot get out of order. There is no 
complicated disc or plates, yet it is a metal-to-metal clutch 
running in oil, and the charm of it is that when it is properly 
lubricated the trouble of the slipping or over-fierce clutch 
is not experienced. 

Ignition is another great point of the De Dietrich, being of 
the simple make-and-break type. It is so simple as to make 
it possible for the veriest novice to use. A misfire is a thing 
unknown on a De Dietrich car. Quite recently I received a 
letter—one of many—which I think should be quoted, for it 
bears out my claims for the De Dietrich : 

“It may interest you to know that my third De Dietrich is 
giving me as much satisfaction as the two older models I have 
had from you. The 1907 24-h.p. car has now done three 
months’ hard work, and I have not had a misfire out of her. 

“ The new metal-to-metal clutch is excellent, and is the 
simplest form of clutch I have ever seen and used. The car 
is very fast and a splendid hill-climber, and altogether I am 
simply delighted with her. 

“ The old De Dietrich which you fitted with a landaulette 
body is running now just as well as ever, and she has done 
well over 30,000 miles.” 

Another point which is of great interest to users of motor¬ 
cars is the question of tyres and up-keep. For some reason, 
which can only be explained by the design and perfect dis¬ 
tribution of weight, the De Dietrich cars are exceedingly 
economical on tyres. In the many thousands of miles which 
I have ridden on a De Dietrich car I have never had one 
puncture. This question of tyre trouble is a very important 
one, and one to which many manufacturers have given no 
attention ; but I am certain that suspension and the distribu¬ 
tion of weight have a great deal to do with the durability 
of tyres. 

In fact, in driving a De Dietrich car, either on a long 
journey from London to North Wales, or from London to 
Scotland, you never have to ask yourself if anything will 
happen. If you are on a De Dietrich car you may be sure 


SOME CARS OF OUR OWN TIME 


193 


that whatever journey you are going to undertake you will be 
quite certain to get through without trouble. 

This car, with the Panhard and the Charron, bears supreme 
witness to the skill of the French as motor engineers. The 
marque De Dietrich is a marque of which any owner may be 
proud. The car, I think, first established itself beyond ques¬ 
tion through Mr. Charles Jarrott’s performance in finishing 
first on a De Dietrich in the memorable Paris-Madrid Race. 
There was an old 24-h.p. model built in those days which no 
one, to my knowledge, ever succeeded in wearing out. 

It is not a cheap car, but it is one whose qualities are 
incontestable. 

The F.LA.T. 

Of late years, “ Efficiency ” is the watchword in every form 
of public and private enterprise. Therefore the fact that the 
F.I.A.T. does its work thoroughly and without grumbling— 
that is to say, without the necessity for perpetual readjust¬ 
ments and small repairs—entitles it to a place in the foremost 
rank. Its reliability may be equalled, but it cannot be 
exceeded in the present stages of motor construction and 
development. 

During 1907 the first international event took place in Sicily. 
This was for the Targa Florio Cup which was won by Nazzaro 
on a 30-40-h.p. F.I.A.T., followed by Lancia, second, also 
driving a F.I.A.T. Each of these cars was of the actual type 
that is being daily sold to private persons for touring 
purposes. The route mapped out for the race presents more 
difficulties to the driver than perhaps any other in Europe. 
Forty-six cars of various nationalities were entered to 
compete in this great race, which was run three times round 
a course of about 93 miles, making in all a total of nearly 
280 miles. The strain involved on the mechanism was 
enormous, as in every round the car had to be lifted over 
a mountain pass 3,600 ft. above the sea level, while the 
number of turns and corners is estimated at something like 
3 , 000 . 


13 


194 


THE AMATEUR MOTORIST 


Again, the cup presented by the German Emperor (“ Der 
Kaiserpreis ”) was won by Nazzaro on a F.I.A.T. car. 

The third and greatest victory of all was won in the 
Grand Prix of France when the F.I.A.T., in competition with 
no less than 38 cars, representing the finest makes of France, 
Italy, Germany, Belgium, America, and England, once more 
achieved all honours. 

Thus, in succession, the three greatest international events 
of 1907 have all been won by three distinctive types of 
F.I.A.T. cars, the regulations in each case calling for a 
different type of machine. So, what do we see ? When 
maximum-bore rules, F.I.A.T. wins ; when cylinder capacity 
controls the constructor, F.I.A.T. is again first; when fuel 
consumption is the limiting condition, then again is the Italian 
with his Italian car in the van. 

Now, this is not luck—luck does not hold in such infinite 
variety. It is sheer merit—merit in man and machine— 
which has got home. In all these events the best car won, 
though how much its victory is ascribable to the brilliant 
helmsman cannot be stated in percentages. 

What, then, of the car itself? What are its special dis¬ 
tinctive features, which enable it to win and to justify its 
claim to be considered amongst the foremost of the day ? 
To enumerate them all would be almost to reproduce the 
maker’s specification. To begin at the beginning, a most 
admirable device, whereby the car may be started automatic¬ 
ally without the necessity for dismounting and “ turning the 
handle,” may be mentioned. 

The motor is so built as to be easy of access, and a special 
point is its quietness in running. One of the F.I.A.T. 
Company’s most valuable patents is its automatic advance 
and retard of ignition. The ignition is low-tension magneto, 
and this device presents many advantages. The petrol con¬ 
sumption is reduced to a minimum. 

Another important patent is the automatic oiler, which, 
beyond filling up, requires no attention whatever. 

Great ease in driving is obtained by the automatic—one 
may almost say “spontaneous”—character of the devices 


SOME CARS OF OUR OWN TIME 


195 


above-mentioned and of others. The brakes are qualified to 
meet any emergency, the clutch is beautifully smooth, all the 
gears are on ball-bearings and are run in an oil bath. The 
transmission is by roller-type chains, and thus the most 
perfect running is secured. 

These are some of the reasons which have combined to 
give the F.I.A.T. ear the premier place which it now enjoys. 
That such supremacy has been richly deserved in the past, 
and is being even more fully satisfied in the present, has been 
acknowledged in the public and technical press and by 
experts all over Europe. This is a record of which the 
makers of the F.I.A.T. may well be proud. 

The year 1907 has been a wonderful year in the story 
of the F.I.A.T. ear. But this is no new story ; and from 
the very outset the great Italian company made its mark in 
the racing story of the years. 

As a touring vehicle it is impossible to say that its early 
productions were above criticism. The engineers, I think, 
were a little unlucky with their clutch ; but none was quicker 
to recognise it than the famous designers at Turin. And 
there is no longer any possibility whatever of criticism upon 
this point. 

The F.I.A.T. used to be called the Italian Mercedes. In 
a sense it was that; but it has never followed Mercedes 
practice slavishly and does not do so at the present time. 

A remarkably speedy car, it is also a delightful engine 
to drive and one with many votaries. I do not consider 
the claims made for the F.I.A.T. car in any way to be 
overstated. 


The Hotchkiss 

BY CAPTAIN CORBET 

It will generally be conceded that reliability and durability 
are the greatest desiderata in the motor-car of to-day, and it 
is precisely these qualities which the Hotchkiss Company has 


196 


THE AMATEUR MOTORIST 


ever had in view, and which it to-day claims as pre-eminently 
the attributes of the Hotchkiss Car. And, indeed, this is 
no idle boast, easily made and with difficulty disproved. 
These qualities are only arrived at as the result of infinite 
trouble and research, both as regards design and material 
used ; experience, in motor-car construction as in all other 
things, is the best teacher. 

To obtain reliability three things at least are essential; 
viz. excellence of design, highest quality of material to be 
used, and skilled workmanship. It is here that the Hotchkiss 
Company must necessarily obtain a considerable advantage 
over rival manufacturers, inasmuch as it is able to bring to 
bear on the construction of the Hotchkiss Car the experience 
gained in the manufacture of quick-firing guns for which 
the Company is world-famous. The highest grade of material 
employed, and the infinite precision of the workmanship, 
which are the sine qua non of good construction, are repro¬ 
duced in the automobiles turned out by the Hotchkiss 
Company, and it is by this means that the reliability, so 
often and so amply demonstrated, of the Hotchkiss Car is 
arrived at. 

In this connection it may be of interest to point out that 
a six-cylinder 45-h.p. Hotchkiss Car is at the present time 
about to conclude the longest and severest road test to which 
an internal combustion engine has ever been subjected. 

Starting from Paris in the month of February last, this car 
travelled round France, a distance of no less than 6,250 miles, 
without giving the slightest trouble of any sort, or occasion¬ 
ing any involuntary stop throughout its long and trying 
journey. On the conclusion of this test, this car was 
shipped to England, and forthwith started out on a 15,000 
miles trial in this country, under the official observation 
of the Royal Automobile Club. Up to the present time 
I am happy to say that the car has completed considerably 
more than two-thirds of its arduous journey without the 
slightest trouble or stop in respect of its engine, its gears, 
or its transmission, and doubtless by the time these few lines 
appear in print it will have covered the full distance of 



A Hotchkiss Limousine. 

























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SOME CARS OF OUR OWN TIME 


197 

21,250 miles, the longest and most trying test known in the 
history of automobilism. 

Day in, day out, in all weathers and on all roads, the 
Hotchkiss Car has continued the even tenor of its way for 
nearly six months, and I feel confident therefore that those 
who may peruse this short article will recognise that the 
claim of reliability and durability which I have made on 
behalf of the Hotchkiss Car is made in no irresponsible spirit, 
but is based on experience and conscientious tests, as all 
claims should be. 

At the November Show at Olympia the London and 
Parisian Motor Company, Ltd., of 87, Davies Street, W., are 
introducing an entirely new type of Hotchkiss specially 
designed to meet the modern requirements for a high-class 
car of moderate horse-power and price. The specification 
is as follows : 

Motor, 4-cylinder 16-20 h.p. 

Dimensions, bore 95, stroke 110. 

Ignition, high-tension magneto. 

Control, by lever on steering-wheel and accelerating-pedal. 

Clutch, leather cone. 

Lubrication, mechanical. 

Change-speed gear, gate with four speeds and reverse. 

Brakes, two expanding. 

Frame, stamped steel. 

Wheel base, 9 ft. in. 

Wheels, equal 875 x 105. 

This design has been tested to be speedy, a good hill- 
climber, light, and, being made of the same material as the 
celebrated 6-cylinder, it is a car of the very highest class. 
It is expected to compete more than favourably with cars 
of an equivalent horse-power and price. 


Specification of ^-cylinder Hotchkiss 

Motor, 6-cylinder 40-5oh.p. 

Dimensions, bore and stroke 120-140. 

Ignition, Eisemann magneto. 


198 


THE AMATEUR MOTORIST 


Control, by lever on steering-wheel and accelerating-pedal. 

Clutch, leather cone. 

Lubrication, mechanical. 

Change-speed gear, gate with four speeds and reverse. 

Brakes, two expanding. 

Frame, stamped steel. 

Wheel base, 11 ft. i in. 

Track, 4 ft. 7 in. 

Specification of A^-cyUnder Hotchkiss 

Motor, 4-cylinder 30-40-h.p. 

Dimensions, bore and stroke 120-140. 

Ignition, high-tension magneto. 

Control, by lever on steering-wheel and accelerating-pedal. 

Clutch, leather cone. 

Lubrication, mechanical. 

Change-speed gear, gate with four speeds and reverse. 

Brakes, two expanding. 

Frame, stamped steel. 

Wheel base, 10 ft. 

Wheel track, 84 ft. 7 in. 

% % % % % ^ 

Speaking of the Hotchkiss 6-cylinder car at the beginning 
of the year 1907, I ventured the opinion that it was the 
simplest and the most striking of all the 6-cylinder models to 
be seen at Olympia. The performances of the car upon the 
road have justified this opinion. 

Nothing more remarkable, surely, has been done than the 
reliability trial which the Hotchkiss won during the past 
year. To achieve some thousand miles without an involuntary 
stop is to stamp this car as a unique production upon which 
eulogy would be wasted. Those who are willing to spend 
£(^qo for the highest class of 6-cylinder car cannot afford to 
pass by the Hotchkiss’s claim. 


SOME CARS OF OUR OWN TIME 


199 


Humber Car 

numbers are doing great things for 1908, and are giving 
us one of the cheapest four cylindered cars ever put upon the 
market. News of this has naturally been very welcome to 
the man of moderate means. 

Humber enthusiasts in this country now constitute a strong 
body. I have seen as many Humber cars upon the road this 
year as any, and they are well spoken of. Those who desire a 
cheap car might go farther and fare worse. 

The firm made its first real success, perhaps, with the little 
iC)-i2-h.p. car of 1906. They were wonderful little cars and 
rarely wanted an enthusiastic owner. 


The Itala 

BY THE LONDON AGENT 

The success of the Itala car as victor in the great Paris 
to Pekin race has brought this automobile very much to the 
fore this year. Such a course as it was driven over by 
Prince Borghese in this race would put any car to its severest 
test, and it speaks volumes for the Itala that it should have 
covered so great a distance with so little mishap. 

But it is not solely on contests of this kind that the car's 
claim to distinction rests. We prefer to judge its merits by 
the favourable criticisms passed on it by those individuals 
who have used it for private purposes. And their praise of 
its qualities is unanimous. “ I have never driven a car that 
is so silent in its running, or one requiring so little adjustment 
and care ” : that is the verdict generally pronounced. The 
claim of the Itala to be considered an automobile par 
excellence is, therefore, not lightly to be considered. 

Its design is, to use a technical expression, the “ cleanest ” 
of any car made. It is quite simply constructed, with the 
fewest parts possible, and the workmanship and finish leave 


200 


THE AMATEUR MOTORIST 


nothing to be desired. So highly finished and polished is 
the machinery that cleaning is rendered particularly easy, 
there being no rough surfaces that can collect or hold dirt. 
This is a feature of the car which every motorist of experience 
will appreciate as of great importance. 

The engine is four-cylindered, the motor cylinders being 
cast in pairs. The inlet and exhaust valves are mechanically 
operated and interchangeable. The firing is by the Simms- 
Bosch low-tension magneto, and can be advanced from the 
steering-wheel. The throttle can also be regulated from the 
steering-wheel or by a small pedal, which enables the engine 
to be run at a speed varying from 150 to 1,200 revolutions a 
minute. 

The cooling system—always a thing of importance—is the 
usual one, with a gear-driven pump and honeycomb radiator, 
and when full the system holds three gallons of water. The 
cooling is perfect in traffic, and the loss of water through 
evaporation has to be made up but seldom. 

The carburettor is absolutely automatic, and produces a 
perfect mixture at whatever speed the engine is run. The 
clutch is composed of metal discs, and is very progressive. 
There are four forward speeds and one reverse, controlled by 
one lever with a device which prevents more than one speed 
being engaged at the same time. There is a direct drive on 
the top speed. 

In the matter of brakes the I tala is well served. There 
are three in all, two controlled by separate pedals and acting 
on the main shaft, and the third controlled by a side hand- 
lever acting on the driving-wheels. One of the foot-brakes is 
water-cooled. The 20-h.p. model has only one foot-brake, 
which is water-cooled. 

Transmission is by Cardan shaft with special compensating 
joints. 

The main lubrication to the engine in the Itala system is 
by a chain and bucket lubricator which holds over a gallon of 
oil, and is driven at a proper speed in relation to that of the 
engine. It is a most simple and effective system, as ex¬ 
perience has proved. In the 1908 model a new feature will 


SOME CARS OF OUR OWN TIME 


201 


be oil pipes attached to the walls of the cylinders, in place of 
the splash system formerly adopted. 

Paris to Pekin has placed the Itala car beyond the reach 
of criticism. 

Here we have another engine which has been called the 
Italian Mercedes. In plain truth these great Italian cars 
are very much alike, and there is very little to choose 
between them. The Itala is an exceedingly powerful motor 
with few unconventional features. Some of us think it has a 
tendency to overheat, but this has been checked in later 
patterns. Like the F. l.A.T. it is very fast and a superb car. 
Indeed, the success of Italian engineers in the motor industry 
is one of many surprising phases of these later times. A 
high-priced car, but one well worth the money asked for it. 


The Lanchester 

BY FREDERICK W. LANCHESTER 

The claims made for the Lanchester car embrace those 
of silence, safety, and simplicity. These appear to resemble 
those made by all motor-car makers, but upon analysis one 
will see that no car can more truly than the Lanchester 
advance a title to these qualities. 

Silence.—From the first public appearance of the Lan¬ 
chester car at the Richmond Show ir> 1898 up to the present 
day, one outstanding quality has been conspicuously evident 
in this car, viz. the quietness of motor, gearing, and trans¬ 
mission. The balanced motor, the epicyclic gear, the silent 
worm-drive, all alike have contributed to the sweet running 
of the car as a whole, and have obtained for the Lanchester 
a continued and increasing patronage. 

Safety.—This claim is one that is too often overlooked. 
In past days, when the floor height of cars was much greater 
than to-day, Lanchester cars were constructed with the body 
work hung low. To-day the aim of all motor-car constructors 


202 


THE AMATEUR MOTORIST 


is in the same direction, so that the great advantage of safety 
is obtained. Cars, thus being well balanced, an accident upon 
the ground of balance is rarely heard of, and there is the 
added advantage of easy access to the carriage. On these 
points no car equals the Lanchester car of to-day. 

Simplicity.—Simplicity is a quality that our critics for 
years denied us in our cars, but to-day the most ardent 
believer in the Continental type of car cannot maintain 
that the type he supports has any point of advantage over 
the Lanchester in simplicity. The engine of four or six 
plain vertical cylinders, high-speed type, presents no 
difficulties ; the epicyclic gear—complex in construction, 
yet now admitted to be everlasting in working—is simple 
in control, and is daily coming more into use owing to its 
absolute reliability. The worm-drive employed is a form 
of gear that has stood the test of seven years’ road trials. 
Lanchester cars equipped with this gear in 1901 are still 
running with the worm as originally fitted; no chain 
breakages or broken bevels are to be recorded. 

For controlling the speed of the engine, the customary 
method of throttling is employed. There is a separate 
throttle valve to each cylinder inlet, this being of the 
ordinary “ butterfly ” type. These are linked together to 
open and close simultaneously, being operated alternatively 
by a hand governor lever or foot accelerator. These two 
methods of actuation are arranged so that the governor 
lever can be used to fix the minimum throttle aperture, 
the accelerator being arranged to “ open out ” to whatever 
degree desired. 

Lubrication.—The engine lubrication is arranged on the 
well-known pressure feed system ; the oil is picked up from 
the base of the crank chamber by a pump, and forced under 
pressure into all the crank-shaft and connecting-rod bearings. 
The oil pump also feeds oil to the gear-box, clutch, and 
brake, the drainage from which is returned automatically 
to the crank chamber by a second pump. 

Water Circulation.—The water circulation on the 28-h.p. 
cars is on the thermo-syphonic system. It is impossible 


SOME CARS OF OUR OWN TIME 


203 


for such a system to get out of order if designed properly 
in the first instance. It is necessary, however, that the 
resistance of the pipes and radiator should be as small as 
possible. This is ensured by the use of the Pugh-Lanchester 
radiator, in which the circulation cells are entirely made of 
brass, and are arranged in parallel, so that the total area 
through which the water has to pass is of ample cross-section. 

The comfort of the Lanchester car does not wholly proceed 
from the smoothness of the engine, the sweet running of the 
gears, or the silent worm drive, although these greatly con¬ 
tribute to the desired result. The original form of spring 
suspension has always been, and will always be, a feature 
of this car. In the Lanchester suspension the springs are 
of a cantilever type, and their duty is confined to the 
legitimate function of a spring, i.e. the support of the load. 
The location of the body with respect to the underframc is 
effected independently by means of parallel-motion link- 
work. The chassis practically rides on one long spring from 
end to end, and as a result the roughest of roads, the worst 
of paving, can be ridden over without shock. The feeling has 
been described as “ riding on velvet.” 

A smaller point of advantage in the Lanchester car, but 
one of undeniable merit, is the success in design that renders 
it impossible for any driver, however careless, to cause a 
smoky or offensive exhaust. This fact was recently evident 
by the granting of the highest award by the Royal Auto¬ 
mobile Club in trials to obtain a vapourless car. The ease of 
control, the efficient and excellent form of vaporiser, and the 
good engineering workmanship throughout in these Lan¬ 
chester cars are all factors in building up the success of this 
interesting and popular British car. 

Mr. Lanchester is one of the most original motor engineers 
of our time. He was the first to make considerable use of the 
cpicyclic system of gearing and of the worm-drive. The latter 
has been an unqualified success, and is likely to be largely 
imitated in the near future. 


204 


THE AMATEUR MOTORIST 


The Lanchester system of gearing is unique and full of 
cleverness. It is largely used in a simpler form upon the 
cheaper American cars. These Lanchester productions have 
possessed from the first an originality of design which has 
rightly given them a place of their own. Somewhat too 
complicated in their earlier phases for the ordinary unskilled 
amateur, they have been largely simplified during the last 
two years, and in the main have differed but little from what 
we may call the standard practice. As carriages they are 
unusually handsome, and the efficiency of the engine is beyond 
all question considerable. 


Mercedes Car 

It would be very ridiculous, I suppose, to offer any criticism 
on the Mercedes Car at the end of this year 1907. Well do 
I remember the sensation caused by the first appearance of 
the Mercedes Car at Monte Carlo—was it not in the year 1902 ? 
Here was something we had never seen before—that wonder¬ 
ful engine, the famous honeycomb radiator, the fine, shapely 
frame, the gate change, the new clutch, the low-tension 
magneto, the pressure feeds. All that is as familiar to us as 
ABC now. How amazing we found it then ! 

And this, surely, was the beginning of a new era. Makers 
the world over had but one model, and that model the 
Mercedes. It would be idle to pretend that this is not the 
world’s premier motor, or that its position has been seriously 
shaken by anything that has happened in recent years. I 
myself remain entirely of this opinion. 

Concerning the Mercedes programme for 1908 it would 
appear that the firm intends to make a big effort during the 
coming year with their new six-cylinder car. We have seen 
one or tw^ specimens of this in England during the last 
twelve months; but the type is one of which we know little 
as yet, but in which I venture to say we are greatly interested. 
This does not mean to imply that the Mercedes firm will pay 
less attention to the famous pattern of old—especially to 


SOME CARS OF OUR OWN TIME 


205 


that wonderful 4 C)- 50 -h.p. which has achieved so much during 
the year which is past. 

The six-cylinder car is chiefly interesting, perhaps, because 
it is to serve for a model upon which all next year’s patterns 
are to be built. Keeping this in mind, I cannot do better 
than give a detailed specification of the chassis in question as 
it is sent to me by the sole importers, DuCros Mercedes, Ltd., 
Mercedes Buildings, Long Acre, W.C. 


Specification of MercMh 1908 Model 

Engine. —6oh.p. six cylinders cast in pairs. Bore and 
stroke 120 x 140. Plain bearings. Four-cylinder 45-h.p. 
120 X 150. Four-cylinder 60-h.p. 130 x 150, and 35-h.p.' 
four-cylinder live-axle town carriage 110 x 140. 

Valves. —All mechanically operated. Inlet on the right, 
exhaust on the left. Valve, cam-shaft, gear wheels of steel, 
completely enclosed and run in an oil bath. 

Ignition. — Mercedes low-tension magneto. 

Carburettor.^'M^rcedhs new 1908. 

Cooling system. —Mercedes honeycomb radiator, large gear- 
driven centrifugal pump. Mercedes patent vaned flywheel, 
drawing air through the radiator. The metal apron under the 
chassis is so made to permit the current of air induced by 
the fan to escape more freely, thus decidedly increasing the 
efficiency of the fan. 

Control. —Combined throttle and accelerator and ignition 
lever mounted on steering-wheel. 

Lubrication. —Mechanicallyoperated accordingto revolutions 
of motor, giving perfect lubrication to all parts, actuated by 
mechanical pumps. This lubricator is simple in construction, 
absolutely positive in action, and will work regularly. It is 
reliable in all temperatures. 

Frame. —Mercedes pressed steel. Length 240 x 2 m. 60, 
suitable for side entrance. 

Wheels. —920 x 120 at back, 910 x 90 front. All wheels 
run on ball-bearings. 

Steering. — Irreversible, with increased lock. 


206 THE AMATEUR MOTORIST 

Clutch. —Mercedes patent metal-to-metal, with special oiling 
system. 

Transmission. —Through gear-box, giving four speeds and 
reverse. Direct drive. All shafts revolve on ball-bearings. 

Springs. —Exceedingly long and flexible. The springs, 
especially the rear ones, are so mounted as to give not only a 
luxurious suspension to the chassis on bad roads, but also to 
render the use of spring brakes and anti-shock devices quite 
unnecessary. 

Brakes. —Two water-cooled band brakes on counter shaft. 
Internal expanding brakes on rear wheels applied by hand 
lever. 

Wheel base. —lo ft. 4 in. 

Wheel gauge. —4 ft. 10 in. 

Length overall. —14 ft. 

Width overall .—5 ft. 5 in. 

Weight of chassis. —26 cwt. approximately, 24 cwt. four- 
cylinder model. 

Speeds. —18, 20, 22, 24, 26-tooth sprockets can be fitted, 
giving maximum speeds according to seating accommodation 
required. 

All motors will be fitted with compression-lever or exhaust- 
valve lifter, thus enabling even the most powerful to be started 
with ease. 

An accelerator pedal enabling the driver while keeping 
both hands on the steering-wheel to vary by a simple pressure 
of his foot the speed of the car from eight to fifty kilometres 
an hour is also fitted. 

This specification is subject to alteration without notice. 


The Mors 

BY L. CARLE 

M. Emile Mors must be regarded as a pioneer in the 
motor-car world, as he was the first to put a magneto on a 
car, as well as the first to find many practical ideas which 
have been adopted by other constructors. The past triumphs 



The Famous Six-cylinder Hotchkiss at Newmarket. 





M 







One of the Latest 45-h.p. Mercedes 












I 


1 ) 















J 


■4 . ■ 








SOME CARS OF OUR OWN TIME 


207 


of the Mors cars are so well known that I need not recount 
them. The most striking, however, was the Paris-Madrid in 
I903> over an average of 62*14 miles per hour, which has 
never been surpassed since. 

Life and suppleness are certainly the first things that may 
be claimed for the Mors. The editor of one of the leading 
papers remarked lately in his columns as follows : “ If I were 
asked what quality struck me most in the Mors, I should say 
life. If ever the joy of life were harboured in a piece of 
machinery, it is in this beautiful car.” 

The Mors car can be compared to a thoroughbred, and it 
obeys the slightest fancy of the man at the wheel. The 
slightest movement of the foot on the throttle pedal, or of 
the hand on the throttle lever fixed on the steering-wheel, 
which controls the same throttle as the pedal, makes the car 
obey so wonderfully that it seems to leap forward like a racer 
or slow down as gently as possible at will. 

The reliability, hill-climbing capacities, and ease of control 
are striking features in the Mors. As for reliability, a great 
deal of testimony might be adduced ; but it will be sufficient, 
perhaps, to mention only one result achieved by a 24-h.p. 
Mors, delivered in 1904. This car did 65,000 miles without 
having been overhauled, and without experiencing any trouble 
whatever on the road. It travelled in the Alps, Germany, 
PTance, Scotland, Ireland, and all over England. 

In 1906 a French tyre company, wishing to show the 
reliability of their tyres, made a tour of over 20,000 kilometres 
as a test. As they required a car they could rely upon in 
every way, they chose a Mors, and not one of the 152 stages 
was missed ; the 22,888 kilometres were covered without the 
least stop, as a certificate testifies, so that a Mors car can 
always be reckoned upon to keep an appointment to time, 
however far away. 

Speed and silence are also two points which can be claimed 
for the Mors. Mr. Massac Buist, in an article in The Morning 
Post of August 20th, relating to a run on a little 15-h.p. live- 
axle Mors car, speaks as follows of the same : 

“ The first impression one had as the machine stood by the 


2o8 


THE AMATEUR MOTORIST 


kerbstone, with the engine running slowly and free, was of 
the remarkable balance achieved by four cylinders, the bonnet 
of the silent car being as vibrationless as that of a first-class 
six-cylinder type. The next was of extreme handiness, for, 
apart from the eminently sporting fashion in which it was 
possible to manoeuvre the little Mors in and out of traffic, 
a demonstration of its possibilities in the matter of ample 
wheel-lock resulted in the car waltzing round and round in 
its own length time and again, and describing the figure ‘ 8 ’ 
in a roadway of ordinary width without approaching either 
kerb by a margin of a yard or more.” 

The streets of London being up at this time of the year, 
Mr. Massac Buist continued : 

“ What trifling difficulties were occasioned in negotiating 
traffic served to illustrate the altogether delightful convenience 
of being able to ‘ button ’ the ignition by the simple pressure 
of the thumb or a finger on the steering-wheel, whereby the 
motor could be used instantly as a brake. Having wended 
our way under railway bridges and over tram-lines out of 
lesser, then larger, London, and appreciated, as opportunity 
offered, the brakes, special clutch flexibility, noiselessness, 
excellent suspension, and ease and steadiness of the steering, 
the machine was allowed to show its speed without check, it 
being possible to keep the top gear on direct drive until the 
engine had been pulled down to a couple of hundred revo¬ 
lutions or so a minute. Indeed, all the way to Bury St. 
Edmunds it was only needful to come twice off the top 
gear, traffic being the chief cause. What one could not 
but admire was the way a rise might succeed in slowing 
the motor to a third of its fastest possible rate of turning, 
but failed utterly to reduce its speed beyond that degree, 
this being demonstrated time and again during the day’s 
run.” 

And it must be remembered that it was only a iS-h.p., 
the smallest models of Mors, of which Mr. Massac Buist was 
writing. 

“ Lively as a cricket ” denotes a quality which the little 
Mors possesses in a prominent degree, the motor furnishing 


SOME CARS OF OUR OWN TIME 


209 

an instant and cver-ready response to any demand put on it 
in the course of the day’s work. 

In conclusion, it remains to record a motorist’s word of 
heartiest appreciation of the perfect conduct of the speedy 
little car on which the tour was undertaken, and which may 
unhesitatingly be pronounced M. Emile Mors’s chef-d’oeuvre. 

****** 

The Mors car first became known to us in England by the 
great series of victories won by M. Fournier. There have 
been progression and retrogression where Mors is concerned— 
the former fortunately in these later times. The Mors is 
undoubtedly a finely built and reliable car, representing the 
best in engines of French design. 

M. Mors was one of the first to apply low-tension magneto 
ignition to his cars. This was little understood at the time, 
and perplexed the earlier users very much. The triumph of 
low-tension magneto must be very gratifying to M. Mors. 

The most popular models of this car are of comparatively 
low horse-power, but are all quite marvels in efficiency. 


The Napier 

BY S. F. EDGE 

I claim nothing for the six-cylinder Napier that has not 
been actually proved by official certificates and tests. I do 
not claim that it is the “best car,” as to do so would be to put 
it on a par with nearly every car that is made. What I have 
claimed for the six-cylinder Napier I have first of all proved, 
and I find that motorists prefer to have a copy of an official 
certificate from the Automobile Club in regard to any 
important point, than to have books full of unsubstantiated 
claims such as are often made by motor firms. 

For those who do not clearly understand why the six- 
cylinder Napier has been so successful, I will try to set out 
shortly .some of the reasons. 


14 


210 


THE AMATEUR MOTORIST 


The principle of using six cylinders was introduced by 
Mr. Napier some four years ago, and owing to its continued 
success there are now a hundred and forty-one firms in all 
parts of the world who have copied Mr. Napier’s principle 
and are starting to make six-cylinder motors. The result is 
that the makers have had years of experience in designing and 
constructing six-cylinder cars, while some other firms are now 
experimenting in this type of engine at the expense of their 
clients. The advantages of using a six-cylinder engine are 
very many, but some of the principal points are, that the 
explosions are divided up into smaller quantities than in 
four-cylinder cans, and before the explosion in one cylinder 
has done expanding the explosion in the next cylinder has 
started to expand, so that there is a continuous and even 
pressure on the crank-shaft and on all working parts of the 
machinery. 

It is owing to this, and Mr. Napier’s principle of lubrica¬ 
tion, that the makers are enabled to give three years’ 
guarantee with every six-cylinder Napier car. This even 
pressure of the working parts also greatly reduces the wear 
on the tyres, as instead of the wheels being jerked round 
by four large explosions, an even pressure is always kept 
on the tyres. 

Owners of six-cylinder Napier cars have testified, time and 
time again, to the extraordinary durability of the tyres on 
their cars, which is the best possible proof on this point, as it 
can only be proved by actual experience. In addition to 
this great economy of tyres, the six-cylinder Napier has been 
proved to consume far less petrol than four-cylinder cars of 
equal power. For instance, in addition to winning the 
Albert Brown trophy with a record of 20'2 miles per gallon, 
and the Hertford County Club trophy with a record of 20 
miles per gallon, a Royal Automobile Club’s certificate was 
granted to a six-cylinder Napier after a run of 200 miles with 
four passengers, showing an average consumption of ig'gO 
miles per gallon. 

As regards economy of lubricating oil and the efficiency of 
the lubricating system, the Napier Company holds a Royal 


SOM?: CARS OF OUR OWN TIME 


2II 


Automobile Club’s certificate dated March 26th, 1907, 

showing that a six-cylinder Napier is capable of running 
2,866 miles per gallon of lubricating oil. 

With regard to gear changing, this bugbear of every driver 
is practically never necessary, as six-cylinder Napier cars can 
be run from a standstill to their highest speed on the top- 
direct drive, which does away with the discomfort and 
clashing noise of the incessant gear changing which is 
necessary with powerful four-cylinder cars in traffic. In 
proof of this a Royal Automobile Club certificate has been 
obtained showing that a six-cylinder Napier with four 
passengers ran on top gear for 1,000 miles including from 
London to Edinburgh and back. This car also ran at 4*4 
miles per hour on the top gear without slipping the clutch 
and 59-2. 

As regards the use of six-cylinder Napiers in towns, 
there can be no better proof of their suitability than the fact 
that one of these cars ran for six hours continuously through 
London traffic, and obtained a Royal Automobile Club 
certificate showing that the temperature of radiating water 
was never higher than 47 degrees below boiling point, while 
the petrol consumption was i gallon r84 pint per hour. 

Gn the point of flexibility, I need hardly mention that the 
six-cylinder Napier has won all the first prizes in these 
competitions, including the Bexhill trials under the Royal 
Automobile Club’s conditions. 

With regard to reliability, it is almost unnecessary to give 
proofs on this point, as the reliability of the six-cylinder 
Napier is proverbial, but as I claim nothing without proof, 
I would merely quote that a lady drove a six-cylinder Napier 
in the Herkomer Trophy Contest over 1,239 kilometres, with 
a non-stop record, and at Brookland three standard 60-h.p. 
six-cylinder Napier cars were driven for twenty-four hours, 
and each of them accomplished an average of over 63 miles 
an hour, during the whole twenty-four hours. 

Then there comes a point in which every motorist is 
interested, namely, hill-climbing. It is impossible to give 
here even a small portion of the important competitions in 


212 


THE AMATEUR MOTORIST 


which the six-cylinder Napier has made fastest time during 
the last few months, but among them are : 

1. The Royal Automobile Club’s Hill Climb, South Harting, 
where there were 55 competitors. 

2. Essex County Hill Climb. 

3. Motor-Cycling Club Hill Climb, Sharpenhoe. 

4. North-Eastern A.A. Ragpath Hill Climb. Fastest time 

of petrol cars. 

5. Wolverhampton A.C. Hill Climb. 

. 6. Southern Motor Club Hill Climb. 

7. Leicester A.C. Hill Climb. 

8. Midland A.C. Club Hill Climb. 

9. North-East Lancs. A.C. Hill Climb. 

10. Coventry Motor Club Hill Climb. 

11. Yorkshire A.C. Hill Climb. 

12. Sussex A.C. Hill Climb, South Harting. 

13. Manchester Motor Club Hill Climb. 

14. North Herts A.C. Hill Climb. 

In fact, the six-cylinder Napier is now generally admitted 
to be invincible as regards the important point of hill 
climbing. 

Lastly, I would like to point out that the six-cylinder 
Napier is the only car which has successfully represented 
Great Britain in the principal International events and that 
it can more than hold its own with cars of every other nation, 
as it at present holds the following nine world’s and inter¬ 
national records—which is more than are held by all the 
foreign motor-cars put together : 

50 miles in 42 minutes 461 seconds, 
at Brooklands. 

1,000 miles in 14 hours 54 minutes 
record made at Brooklands. 

799 miles 1,600 yards in 12 hours, 
at Brooklands. 

1,581 miles 1,310 yards in 24 hours, 
at Brooklands. 

The I Kilometre (standing start) in 27 1 seconds, 
record made at Ormond Beach. 


World’s record made 


5 seconds. World’s 


World’s record made 


World’s record made 


World’s 


SOME CARS OF OUR OWN TIME 


213 


The I mile (flying start) in 37 1 seconds. European 
record made at Blackpool. 

The I mile (standing start) in 37-J seconds. World’s 
record made at Ormond Beach. 

The 10 mile (standing start) in 6 minutes 15 seconds. 
World’s record made at Ormond Beach. 

The 100 miles (standing start) in i hour 15 minutes 40 1 
seconds. World’s record made at Ormond Beach. 

I shall add very little to Mr. Edge’s claims for his car. 
The Napier justly stands at the head of all British pro¬ 
ductions, and the British industry owes more to Mr. Edge 
than it can ever repay. The superb finish and no less 
superb performances of the Napier car are uncontestable. No 
one, I think, is readier to admit this than the unconverted 
advocates of the four-cylinder machine. 

The Panhard 

BY HARVEY DU CROS 

The chief feature of the Panhard car is, perhaps, its sim¬ 
plicity. I do not think any one denies that this car is, and 
always has been, the simplest in automobile production. It 
is also an undoubted fact that no one denies that Panhards 
are remarkable for their durability. The original cars made 
by Messrs. Panhard & Levassor are frequently seen on the 
road even to-day. At the same time that simplicity in con¬ 
struction is aimed at, no pains are spared to make the cars 
equal to any others in excellence of material employed and 
perfection of finish. This is only to be expected when one 
remembers that Messrs. Panhard & Levassor are the pioneers 
of the motoring industry. In recognition of this fact, by the 
way, a monument is at the present moment in course of 
erection in Paris in memory of M. Levassor. 

P'or the 1908 season the Panhard & Levassor Company 
will build 10-, 15-, 18-; 24-, 35-, and 50-h.p. cars, the 10 and 


214 


THE AMATEUR MOTORIST 


i5-h.p.’s being of a different model to the other types. The 
18-, 24-, 35-, and 50-h.p.’s will have four-cylinder (separated) 
engines. The crank-shaft is supported by five bearings fitted 
with caps, which allow the bottom half of the crank-case to 
be removed without disturbing the crank-shaft or bearings. 

Ignition will be by means of magneto and sparking-plugs, 
with accumulators in combination with the magneto in case 
of emergency. This magneto is placed under the bonnet of 
the engine, and is fitted to the same shaft as the water- 
circulation pump. The advancing and retarding of ignition 
is effected by the displacing of the induction magnets round 
the axle of the magneto. Other features will be the auto¬ 
matic carburettor and hydraulic regulator. 

Water circulation is to be effected by centrifugal pump, 
worked by gears ; this pump revolves at the speed of the 
engine, and consequently at the same speed as the magneto, 
which admits of fitting these two devices to the same shaft. 

The water distribution in these new types is done in 
series. The water passes first round the fourth cylinder, 
and successively round the others ; it then passes into the 
radiator. This arrangement admits of reducing to the smallest 
number the water circulation pipes, although ensuring at the 
same time perfect cooling. 

Starting from 24-h.p.’s, the engines have a system of de¬ 
compression which facilitates the starting, only retaining such 
compression as is necessary for ignition. 

The lubrication is of an entirely new type, and differs from 
the lubricators actually in use on the majority of cars. These 
latter have an output which is proportionate to the rotative 
speed of the engine, and not proportionate to the power 
which it develops. From this arise several drawbacks. In 
particular, at times when the engine has not to supply any 
power, and therefore does not need much lubrication. When 
disengaging the gear, for instance, the oil runs to excess, 
smoke is formed, and oil is wasted. 

On the other hand, when a great effort is required of the 
engine, and when it slows up (for instance, while climbing a 
rather stiff incline on fourth speed), and it should be well 


215 


SOME CARS OF OUR OWN TIME 

lubricated, whereas by the system usually adopted the working 
parts are not sufficiently oiled. 

Messrs. Fanhard & Levassor have sought to remedy these 
drawbacks, and have tried to get a lubricator whose output 
of oil will be proportionate to the power required of the 
engine, and not to its rotative speed. The 1908 cars will be 
fitted with a device which realises these conditions, and in 
which the output is regulated by means of the depression 
produced by the intake of the engine, which is proportionate 
to its power. 

A metallic clutch will be used with discs of the usual 
pattern. Change-speed will be effected by means of a com¬ 
plete set of four-speed gear wheels, with direct drive on fourth 
speed with chain-transmission. 

Brakes.—Apart from differential brakes and side-wheel 
brakes fitted on all cars, Panhards have added a third brake 
obtained by the engine. It consists in modifying the lift of 
the exhaust valves in such a way as to obtain resisting efforts 
during the time of intake, compression, and expansion. This 
device is realised by means of extra cams which act on the 
valves by means of a longitudinal displacement of the cam¬ 
shaft. This is operated by means of a pedal within the 
driver’s reach. 

This brake, which can be thoroughly depended upon, and 
the working of which requires no effort on the part of the 
driver, is particularly adapted to long, downward slopes and 
hilly districts. It prevents overheating, which always arises 
on differential brakes or on wheel brakes when they are used 
for any length of time, and impedes their working. Besides, 
there is no wear on any parts, as the engine works, when 
acting as brake, as well as when it is acting as an engine. 

10 and 15-h.p. Cars.—The engine in these cars will be of 
the same type as that of the other patterns. The gear is 
fitted with metallic clutch and change-speed with double set of 
gear wheels. The drive on these two sets of gear wheels and 
on the reverse is effected by means of a lever which displaces 
itself on a single sector—all system of bolting thus becoming 
unnecessary. Transmission is effected by means of flexible 


2i6 


THE AMATEUR MOTORIST 


coupling with special device allowing of obliquity of the arms 
of the rear axles. This method of transmission has the 
advantage over chains of being easy and inexpensive in 
up-keep ; in addition, it admits of a wide side entrance on 
short chassis and ensures a minimum of noise. 

The drawback of the systems used on the majority of cars 
is that obliquity of the arms of the rear axles is impossible. 
Messrs. Panhard & Levassor have solved the problem, and 
their lo- and 15-h.p. cars, though particularly adapted to 
town use, will have nothing to fear from hard wear, bending 
of rear axle, or great wear of parts which would otherwise 
immediately ensue. 

The various types of car can be fitted, if required by clients, 
with an automatic starting device (Saurer patent). This works 
by means of a pump which is driven by the engine, and which 
compresses the air in a tank, whence it is distributed on 
to the cylinder which is in expansion. It is very easily put 
into use by simply opening a tap. The air-tank can also be 
utilised for inflating tyres. 

It does not seem so very long ago that the marque Panhard 
& Levassor had no rival in the motoring world. The late 
Monsieur Levassor built the first four-cylinder car that ever 
ran upon the road, and gave us at a coup the outline of the 
chassis as we have it even to this day. 

The old Panhards were without rival in their day. They 
first taught us the meaning of the word “reliability” as applied 
to a petrol engine. There are those who think that the great 
firm of Panhard & Levassor have been slow to imitate modern 
practice, and that their later cars are not as fast as they might 
be or as light. My own faith in Panhard & Levassor remains 
unshaken. Those who know nothing about motors, who will 
keep but one car, and who expect it to last them for many 
years, may well look with confidence to this famous house. 
As Mr. Du Cros points out, Panhards are now to be thoroughly 
modernised, and this cannot fail to maintain their deservedly 
great reputation. 



Photo by It. Jtnkins, Loivestoft. 

The Six-cylinder Brooke Car 



The Six-cylinder Darracq Car. 




















SOME CARS OF OUR OWN TIME 


217 


The Peugeot 

Twenty-three years ago, Messrs. Peugeot Brothers were 
noted for their inventive and mechanical genius in connection 
with methods of propulsion. At the great Paris Exhibition 
in 1889, a large two-seated motor-tricycle was exhibited, 
and this must be taken as the genesis of the internal com¬ 
bustion motor as applied to road vehicles. 

In 1891 a car, manufactured by Messrs. Peugeot Brothers, 
followed the cycle races of Paris-Brest from the manufacturing 
town of Valentigney to Brest and back to Paris, a distance of 
nearly 1,650 kilometres, and, during subsequent years, the 
great races from Paris-Rouen, and Paris-Brest, were ex¬ 
perimented with and followed by Peugeot motors, from 
the view-points of experience, exhaustive trials, and general 
interest. 

In the year 1896, which was contemporaneous with the 
road traffic revolution in the British motor world, the 
inventor, Mr. Armand Peugeot, floated an independent 
enterprise. Since this, continuous and extensive additions 
to factories and working capital have been made. 

It must be admitted that, at the present day, the Peugeot 
Motor Company are in the first rank for touring cars. 
Past records and figures can be brought to demonstrate the 
speed, solidity, and comfort with which this firm’s auto¬ 
mobiles are associated. They have carried off victories 
innumerable, and consistency is proved by the fact that in 
a similar class for two successive years Peugeot motors 
of 12 to 16 h.p. showed indisputable superiority and steady 
progress by winning each event. 

There has been no possible form of motor-chassis with 
which the Peugeot Company have not completely experimented 
in its due time and proper place, and brought up to the 
pinnacle of prevailing progress. In this we refer at the 
moment more particularly to such forms of commercial 
vehicles as delivery vans, omnibuses, etc. As an example 
of success in this particular line, we can point out that the 
Peugeot was classed first with a maximum number of points 


2i8 


THE AMATEUR MOTORIST 


in the military competition for vehicles of heavy weight from 
Paris-Marseilles-Paris, organised by the Automobile Club of 
P'rance, in December 1906. 

The Peugeot is the French car that still maintains its 
excellence, and is the only firm of long-standing repute still 
manufacturing two-cylinder engined cars and with a range 
of models from 8 h.p. to 50 h.p. 

The laboratory which is used for the trial and verification of 
all the material entering into the construction of the Peugeot 
cars ensures an indisputable guarantee of irreproachable 
character. The testing of all metals and their qualities calls 
for and receives the utmost care and scrutiny. Testing is 
done before the article is manufactured into the various 
component parts, and after their complete assembly into the 
finished stage. 

In addition to the internal combustion engine fitted to the 
Peugeot, some of the most special features of the cars are the 
Touffault shock-reducers, low-tension magneto ignition, gate 
change-speed, ball-bearing shafts and gear-box, and dust- 
proof steering pivots. 

With the above points before one it is made apparent that 
the Peugeot cars are fully worthy of the high place they 
have taken in the motor world. Soundness of workmanship 
and the utmost reliability are guarantees which the makers 
confidently put forward, and the great popularity the cars 
have achieved is sure evidence of their merits. 


The Renault 

All that skilled workmanship and care can effect go to the 
making of a Renault car. The materials employed in the 
construction of the chassis and other parts are of the finest 
quality and nothing is used that has not been first subjected 
to a satisfactory test. Motors, change-speed gears, carburettors, 
axles, etc., all are verified and proved one by one before being 
mounted on the chassis, the relation of one part to the other 
being considered in every respect. The result of further 
particular care in the trials of the chassis themselves on the 


SOME CARS OF OUR OWN TIME 


219 


roads, under conditions of weight and actual resistance, is to 
secure the maximum result, coupled with the elasticity and 
silence for which our cars are so justly famed. 

But it is best, perhaps, to let the cars speak for themselves. 
When the special features are mentioned which are the 
characteristics of the Renault, the intelligent motorist will 
see at a glance what are the points in its favour when 
compared with other cars on the market. 

The motor of our 35 to 45-h.p. chassis, which is of the 
vertical type and four-cylindered, has no governor. We have 
done away with this part, as it had become useless owing to 
our adoption of a special arrangement of inlet throttle to the 
motor. Normally, and for starting, the admission is only 
slightly opened to the motor, but an accelerator pedal is fitted 
to allow the driver to attain the maximum acceleration of 
the car. 

One of the greatest troubles that a motorist has to endure 
is the dust nuisance. In cars of the lower grade this causes 
endless bother and work, and in the cleaning that is so 
frequently entailed there is the risk of injury to one’s fingers 
while handling the exposed gears. In the Renault cars 
this difficulty is obviated. All the parts of the motor, 
distribution gears, cam-shaft, crank-shaft, etc., are completely 
enclosed in the crank-chamber itself, thus receiving the 
necessary projections of oil for lubrication, and also ensuring 
complete protection from dust. No accident can arise from 
foreign bodies, such as stones, spanners, or rags which might 
get entangled were the pinions not so encased. 

The motor possessing all its valves on the same side, 
contrary to what might be supposed, is more supple, and 
a better working of the motor is obtained than by having the 
valves placed on either side of the cylinders. It is necessary 
to add that in the makers’ opinion this arrangement has in 
addition the simplification of the parts and much greater 
accessibility. The 35-45-h.p. motor has the cylinders cast 
in pairs instead of separately. The latter arrangement 
necessitates undue length in the dimensions of the car, besides 
rendering its appearance much heavier. The friction on the 


220 


THE AMATEUR MOTORIST 


crank-shaft is more considerable and the water circulation 
more complicated. Some say, in favour of the separate 
cylinders, that there is economy in case of replacement, but 
this difficulty is practically illusionary if it is borne in mind 
that the breakage or wear produced in one is generally to be 
found in all four cylinders. 

There is a special patented arrangement of lubrication 
assuring a continuous flow of oil to all the bearings. This 
arrangement has been adopted on the 35-h.p. as well as on 
all the other models. The oil is drawn by the rotation of the 
connecting rods into channels placed in the upper part of 
the crank-chamber, it then passes through little troughs placed 
above each bearing, by means of which they assure the 
lubrication. From there it flows into circular rings, whence 
it is ejected by*the centrifugal force towards the connecting 
rod bearings, through little channels pierced in the crank-shaft. 

In order to prevent the oil flowing to the back or front of 
the motor on gradients, a special arrangement has been 
adopted by which the lower part of the crank-chamber is 
transversely partitioned. By this means the oil is held 
underneath each bearing, assuring an equal quantity of oil 
to each of the four cylinders. 

Ignition in the 35- to 45-h.p. motor is effected by means 
of a high-tension Simms-Bosch magneto to sparking-plugs. 
All low-tension wires are enclosed in insulated material and 
protected from the damp. A patented arrangement for 
attaching the wires to the plugs, which ensures one being able 
to instantly verify each cylinder without being obliged to 
stop the engine, is to be found in all Renault cars. These 
ebonite discs have also the advantage of allowing one to 
change the plugs very quickly. Thanks to the absolute 
reliability of this high-tension magneto, it is quite unnecessary 
to fit a supplementary ignition. 

With regard to the change-speed gear, this allows four 
different speeds and a reverse, all being worked by a single lever 
on the right of the driver. The great feature of our patented 
change-gear speed has always been a direct drive on the top- 
speed, the transmitting shaft being coupled up by means of 


SOME CARS OF OUR OWN TIME 


22 


dog clutches. This arrangement was adopted by M. Renault 
in the construction of the first of his cars, and recognised 
universally since as the best and only capable way of assuring 
the maximum efficiency of cars. In addition, this patented 
arrangement renders the car very gentle and silent, and 
reduces friction to a minimum. 

The above are only some of the distinctive features of the 
Renault. They are sufficient, however, to make it apparent 
that the Renault has much originality in its design and that 
it is thoroughly up-to-date in all the requirements that are 
demanded of a high-class 1908 automobile. 

****** 

I have said elsewhere in this book that I consider the 
20-30-h.p. Renault, as made in the early part of the year 
1907, to be the finest car for its horse-power yet known. The 
many beautiful qualities of the Renault engine are justly 
appraised alike by the expert and the amateur. 

The Renault is not a speedy car, but as a town carriage 
or as a touring car for those who would know the whole 
luxury of travel it has few equals. 


The Rochet^Schneider 

BY THE LONDON REPRESENTATIVE 

The Rochet-Schneider is essentially a powerful and notori¬ 
ously reliable touring car with a great reputation behind it. 
The chassis of this car, the frames of which are constructed 
of pressed steel, are built entirely to the tourist’s point of 
view. Great attention has been paid to the suspension, and 
by the adoption of a system of three springs at the rear all 
unpleasant road shocks and excessive vibration have been 
eliminated. As a touring car and a good hill-climber the 
Rochet-Schneider has many points in its favour which will 
commend it to the motorist 

Hitherto all the engines in the Rochet-Schneider cars have 
been of the four-cylinder vertical type, situated in the front 


222 


THE AMATEUR MOTORIST 


of the chassis. In the new 1908 models the 30*h.p. and 
45-h.p. cars will be six-cylinders, the ignition in each being 
low-tension magneto. The cylinders in all types are cast 
in pairs, and with their water jackets form one casting. All 
the valves are mechanically operated and are interchangeable. 
Starting is very easily accomplished, as the engines used in 
cars above 20-h.p. are fitted with an independent half¬ 
compression device which absolutely prevents back fires. 

Magneto ignition is fitted to all the engines. In the 
i6-i8-h.p. model Simms-Bosch high-tension is used, while 
in all the other types low-tension with “make-and-break ” 
tappets is fitted. The ignition tappets are fitted with mica 
insulators, detachable so as to permit of their cleaning without 
interfering with the timing. The points of contact are 
protected from oil. 

The car is controlled by means of two levers placed above 
the steering-wheel, one operating the throttle and the other 
the ignition. To facilitate the location of irregular firing, 
each cylinder can be cut out separately, and, to minimise 
noise, the gear wheels actuating the cam-shaft, magneto, and 
pump are all enclosed in the same casting as the crank- 
chamber, and run in oil. The gear wheels are manufactured 
of fibre, and the pinion of tempered steel, and the size of the 
teeth is such that wear is reduced to a minimum and their 
working is absolutely silent. 

The engine takes its supply of gas from the new patent 
Rochet-Schneider Carburettor (“ brevete S.G.D.G.”), which 
automatically regulates carburation at all fluctuations of 
engine speeds, and at the same time greatly reduces the 
consumption of petrol. The engine is cooled by water 
circulation, operated by a gear-driven pump of great power, 
and the water is forced through a radiator having a very 
large cooling surface, which is assisted by a ventilating fan 
placed immediately behind the radiator. 

The lubrication of the cylinders is effected by means of a 
gear-driven pump which supplies a drip-feed rack on dash¬ 
board. The supply of oil is proportionate to the speed of 
the engine, and can be regulated as desired. The engine 


SOME CARS OF OUR OWN TIME 


223 


and all other working parts are protected from mud and dust 
by an efficient steel casing, and the design of the bonnet 
permits of thorough inspection to all parts of the engine. 

The change-speed gear is the same as that fitted to the 
1906 cars, the design of which is patented. The two gear 
shafts are on the same plane, and, to avoid torsion on the 
chain sprockets, the two halves of the differential shaft are 
the same length. All our cars are fitted with direct drive on 
top speed. The gear-box is of small dimensions. It is fitted 
with two change-speed arms operated by a single lever, 
working in two separate sectors (gate system) giving four 
speeds forward and one reverse, except in the case of the 
i6-h.p. model. The transmission is by means of strengthened 
Reynolds roller-chains, and the sprockets are easily detached. 

In addition to other features we may note that the oil tank 
fitted to all the chassis is placed under the bonnet, and serves 
to feed the pump which distributes the drip feed. All the 
chassis, except the i6-h.p. model, are delivered fitted with 
a pressure-feed petrol tank. The petrol runs through a very 
fine filter on its way to the carburettor. Pressure is first 
obtained in the petrol tank by means of a small hand-pump 
placed under the footboard. The handle of the pump is 
accessible on the left-hand side of the chassis. Pressure is 
maintained by a branch exhaust pipe fitted with pressure 
valve and gauge. The clock gauge is fitted on the dash¬ 
board, and indicates the exact amount of pressure. 

Except in the 16-h.p. model the governor is extremely 
sensitive, and is on entirely new lines. It is placed outside 
the distribution wheels and encased in an aluminium box. 
In the i6-h.p. model, a special patented arrangement allows 
the abolishment of the governor, and the speed of the engine 
is automatically controlled by the clutch-pedal. This type of 
chassis has been specially designed for town work, as this 
arrangement permits of easy control and is extremely silent. 

This is a great car. It has always been remarkably fast 
and exceedingly durable. I wonder that it has not more 


224 


THE AMATEUR MOTORIST 


friends in England ; but those it possesses are both staunch 
and eloquent 

There are few original features upon the Rochet-Schneider, 
which was once called the French Mercedes. But its general 
design is most workmanlike, while for flexibility and power 
the engine may be compared to the best 

The Rolls-Royce Car 

This car is the outcome of the combination of practical 
motorists’ long experience, and the design of an engineer 
of excellent repute. 

In 1904 Mr. F. H. Royce, the well-known designer of 
electric motors and cranes, having had the advantage of 
consulting the Hon. C. S. Rolls (one of the earliest motorists 
in this country and a well-known racing driver) and Mr. 
Claude Johnson (the first secretary of the Royal Automobile 
Club, and one who had had exceptional experience with 
every make of car), produced a two-cylinder car, which was 
known as the Rolls-Royce, and this was exhibited at the 
Paris Exhibition in December of the same year, side by 
side with a four-cylinder car which had not yet run on the 
road, and a six-cylinder motor. 

In 1905 a four-cylinder Rolls-Royce car, driven by 
Mr. Percy Northey, took second place in the race for the 
Tourists’ Trophy, and on this occasion the committee of 
the Royal Automobile Club were making use of a six- 
cylinder Rolls-Royce car as one of the Club’s official 
cars. 

In 1906 Mr. Rolls won the Tourists’ Trophy on a four- 
cylinder Rolls-Royce car, making the extraordinary average 
of nearly forty miles per hour on a petrol consumption of a 
gallon for every twenty-five miles. 

In 1907 a six-cylinder 40-50-h.p. car was submitted to a 
series of tests under the Royal Automobile Club, with the 
following, among other, results : 

It carried four passengers up Netherhall Gardens, which 
has a gradient of i in 7-2, on the second gear, and on the 


Chass’s of the Six-cylinder 40 50-h.p. Rolls-Royce. 



The Engine of the Six-cylinder Rolls-Royce. 














SOME CARS OF OUR OWN TIME 


225 


same gear attained a speed of over 42 miles per hour on 
the flat. It carried four passengers up the Test hill in 
Richmond Park, which at one point has a gradient of i in 7’8 
on the third gear (which is the direct drive) ; and on the 
same gear, on the flat, attained a speed close on 53 miles 
per hour; while on this same gear, without clutch manipula¬ 
tion or touching the pedals, the car was driven at 3*4 miles 
per hour. As a further test of the elasticity of the engine, 
the car was driven, without using any gear lower than the 
third, which is designed to give a speed of 37 miles per 
hour at one thousand revolutions of the engine, from Old 
Bexhill Post Office, via Handcross Hill, through London, 
and by the north road to Edinburgh and Glasgow. On this 
occasion the petrol consumption of the car was tested by the 
Club, and in order that there might be no question raised, an 
ordinary two-gallon petrol tin was used as a petrol tank, and 
every time it was emptied it was refilled from sealed standard 
two-gallon cans. 

The distance of 417 miles from Hatfield to Glasgow was 
covered with a fuel consumption of 20*8 miles per gallon. It 
may be added that on the arrival of the car in Glasgow it 
proceeded round the course selected for the Scottish Trial, 
and then neturned to London, a distance of 2,000 miles, with 
one stop for lack of pressure in the fuel tank, and thirty 
seconds for the adjustment of the coil. 

Not content with this display of the car’s qualities, the 
Rolls-Royce Company entered the car to run a 15,000 
miles’ trial under the observation of the Royal Automobile 
Club, which also included participation in the Scottish 
Automobile Club’s trial of 740 miles of mountainous 
roads. 

During the Scottish Trial the car had a stop of one minute, 
owing to the petrol tap having turned off; but owing to its per¬ 
formance in the hill-climbing, and its record petrol consump¬ 
tion (17*02 miles to the gallon), easily secured the gold medal 
in competition with such well-known cars as the Merc^d^s, 
Berliet, Darracq, Ariel, and the Hotchkiss. 

At the close of the Scottish Trial the car commenced to run 

IS 


226 


THE AMATEUR MOTORIST 


over a route of 500 miles between Glasgow and London, 
passing through Edinburgh, Newcastle-on-Tyne, Leeds, Brad¬ 
ford, Huddersfield, Manchester, and Coventry, and backwards 
and forwards over this road day and night, only stopping on 
Sundays. There were four drivers and four official observers 
of the Royal Automobile Club engaged in this trial. The 
mileage mounted up very rapidly, since a distance of about 
2,400 miles was covered every week. The former record for 
the longest run in which no involuntary stop had taken place 
was held by the Siddeley car, with a total of 7,089 miles, but 
this record was quickly passed by the Rolls-Royce car. 

During the trial the committee of the Royal Automobile 
Club passed a resolution that no car should be observed by 
the Club in any long-distance trial for more than 15,000 miles, 
and at the end of that distance the Rolls-Royce car had 
covered 14,371 non-stop since the petrol tap turned off during 
the Scottish Automobile Club’s trial. The Rolls-Royce Com¬ 
pany, prior to the trial, had had the courage to ask the Royal 
Automobile Club to strip the car at the conclusion of the trial, 
examine every part of it, and to direct what parts in their 
opinion required renewing in order to make the car as good 
as new. The examination by the expert committee revealed 
an extraordinary state of affairs. 

The engine was passed as perfect; the transmission through¬ 
out was passed as perfect; one or two parts of the steering 
details showed very slight wear, perhaps one-thousandth part 
of an inch, and the committee condemned these as not being 
“ as good as new ”; they also required the small universal 
joints in the magneto drive to be replaced, and the water- 
pump to be repacked; and this was all that was required 
for making the car equal to new after a mileage which many 
cars do not cover in three years’ work. 

The Royal Automobile Club are about to publish a certificate 
stating the cost of running a six-cylinder Rolls-Royce car, and 
the cost of putting it into repair after its long run. This 
certificate will be the first official statement as to the cost 
of running and maintaining a powerful motor-car and, there¬ 
fore, should be of great interest to motor owners, and a 



45 h.p. Six'Cylinder Siddeley : The Queen*s Carriage. 









































SOME CARS OF OUR OWN TIME 


227 

standard by which they can judge whether their cars are 
costing them too much or not. 

Owners of cars have been unanimous in their congratulations 
to Mr. Royce on the condition of the working parts of the 
car at the end of the trial, and many have gone so far as to 
state that had they not seen the condition they would not 
have believed it could have been possible. 

Since the Rolls-Royce Company are at present manufactur¬ 
ing only the six-cylinder 40-50-h.p. car,,it is not necessary for 
the purposes of this book to describe the two-, three-, four-, 
and eight-cylinder cars which Mr. Royce has produced in 
the course of two years. The six-cylinder Rolls-Royce is 
unique in three particulars: 

(1) Mr. Royce is of opinion that a six-cylinder engine 
should be treated as two engines of three cylinders each, . 
rather than considering them, as is usually done, as three 
engines of two cylinders each. He maintains that the 
“ couple ” occurs between the two sets of three cylinders and 
at the two ends of the crank-shaft, and it is at these three 
points that specially large bearings should be provided. The 
Rolls-Royce crank-shaft, in addition to these three bearings, 
have four intermediate bearings. 

(2) Mr. Royce is of the opinion that under certain road 
conditions the forward end of the frame might have a 
tendency to “ whip,” or bend slightly out of line, and that 
if the six-cylinder engine with its long crank-case were fixed 
rigidly to the frame, considerable strain might be put on 
the crank-case. He has ingeniously met this possibility by 
providing a three-point suspension, so that the forward end 
of the engine is quite unaffected by the position of the side 
members of the frame. 

(3) The last point is that the radiator for a similar reason 
is insulated. It can move backwards, forwards, or sideways, 
and is not rigidly attached to any part of the chassis, and 
therefore is not subject to the shocks which often cause 
leakage and breakage. 

The engine is fitted with two complete systems of ignition, 
high-tension magneto and high-tension accumulator. In 


228 


THE AMATEUR MOTORIST 


the distributor of the ignition, the current is not dealt with by 
means of a brush working on a circular disc, having metal 
and vulcanite faces alternately, as it is impossible to get true 
synchronism by this method, but in the Rolls-Royce dis¬ 
tributor a cam is made to move a little lever, the break 
taking place between platinum points. 

The lubrication of the engine is through the centre of the 
crank-shaft, the oil being conveyed under pressure to the 
inside of each bearing, and up the connecting rod, through 
the gudgeon pins to the cylinder walls. That there was no 
appreciable wear in any part of the engine after, perhaps, 
30,000,000 revolutions which the engine made during the 
15,000 miles’ trial is sufficient indication of the excellence of 
this system. 

A cone clutch lined with leather is employed, which 
practically runs in oil, and is therefore very sweet in its 
action. The gear-box has four forward speeds and one 
reverse, the third speed being the direct drive. The reason 
for this is that it is found that the third gear is the one which 
is in use more than any other, and it is desirable that the 
gear which is most in use should be the direct drive. The 
fourth gear is used for really fast road work. 

The back axle is of the double type, recommended by 
the judges of the Royal Automobile Club, the drive being 
fitted through a large bevel. 

The steering is so arranged as to provide a very large lock, 
and the utility of this was shown by the fact that in the 
Scottish Trial, on the well-known corner of “ Rest and be 
thankful,” the Rolls-Royce car, having a wheel base of 
11 ft. 3 in., was able to take this corner in its stride, while 
many four-cylinder cars, having far shorter wheel bases, had 
to stop and reverse before they could get round this acute 
angle. 

The makers of this car pride themselves on its ease of 
suspension. The springs are made of a large number of thin 
plates, instead of following the usual practice of a small 
number of thick plates. 

The engine is remarkably silent, and the absence of 


SOME CARS OF OUR OWN TIME 


229 


vibration has been demonstrated by taking a glass filled 
full to the brim with water, placing it on the bonnet of 
the car, and then racing the engine up to 1,600 revolutions 
per minute without spilling a drop. The chassis price of this 
superb car is ^^895. 


The Spyker Car 

Concerning this famous car, Mr. Frank Wellington writes 
to me : “ As you are yourself a driver of Spyker cars, I should 
much prefer your own testimony concerning them ; but since 
you ask me to describe the technicalities of our 1908 models, 
I must endeavour to do so.” To which he adds the following 
schedule of details : 

The chassis is pressed out of cold steel plates by powerful 
hydraulic presses, the side members being composed of one 
complete sheet, thus giving a strength and rigidity above the 
ordinary. Moreover, the chassis is also fortified with ash in 
the older fashion, but one which ensures a frame of the highest 
durability. 

We make a great point of our radiators. They never give 
trouble. They are built under Herr Spyker’s own patents, 
and consist of square copper tubes, through which is inserted 
a copper wire twisted like a screw to assist in breaking up 
the air as it passes the square holes. Thf? radiator is mounted 
on a ball, and thus has sufficient play to forbid the consequences 
of vibration. 

Our lubrication is noteworthy. We carry a positive oil 
pump in the reservoir at the lowest part of the crank-case, 
and this pumps oil to the walls of the cylinders and also 
sprays it over the main bearings of the engine. This means 
that we use but half a pint of oil for every hundred miles’ run, 
instead of the four pints under the older system. I should 
add that we now run the engine upon ball-bearings through¬ 
out—being one of the few firms to do so—and that we 
are faithful to the old-fashioned leather clutch, which, when 
properly fitted, we believe has no rival. All Spyker models 


230 


THE AMATEUR MOTORIST 


will run nearly everywhere upon top gear, thus avoiding 
the necessity for more than three speeds. Our brakes are, 
exceedingly powerful, and the foot-brake, controlled by a right- 
and left-hand thread, and capable of instantaneous adjust¬ 
ment, is one of the best ever fitted to any chassis. We have 
long been famous for the fine work put into our rear axles, 
and the wearing qualities of these is, I think, justly admired. 
These cars are constructed throughout from solid steel, and 
hardly a casting is used. The boat-like shape of the chassis 
makes the car dustless—a claim made for it with confidence 
and supported by all who use it. Our latest 30-40-h.p. model 
has won many new friends, even for the Spyker. 

» * * * «^ * 

As Mr. Wellington says, I drive a Spyker, and know much 
of these cars. The material in them is of the highest quality. 
They have lived down all mistakes, and are the work of one 
of the cleverest motor engineers in Europe. Herr Spyker 
built coaches long before he built motor-cars. It is needless 
to say, therefore, that the comfort of his “ bodies ” is above 
all question remarkable. They are sweet-running carriages 
all of them, wonderfully durable and pleasing in appearance, 
and the finish of the coachwork could not be surpassed. 

The price of the 40-h.p. model is ;^750. 


The Weigel Cars 

BY D. M. WEIGEL 

An intending purchaser having his first trip on a Weigel 
car is usually struck by the fact that the car gets away from 
the mark very quickly ; that the engine is wonderfully re¬ 
sponsive to the slightest touch of the accelerator pedal; that 
the car will persist upon its top speed up very severe 
gradients, the engine turning at comparatively few revolu¬ 
tions per minute ; and that in a word the car is full of 
that mysterious quality known as “ life.” Probably, there¬ 
fore, the most important feature noticeable so far as the 
running of the car is concerned is its extraordinary vitality. 


SOME CARS OF OUR OWN TIME 


231 


This feature is the result of clever engine design, together 
with a very perfect form of transmission. Although it is a 
scientific fact that with any of the present-known forms of 
transmission on a motor-car there is a heavy loss of power 
between the engine and the road wheels, nevertheless much 
may be done to minimise that loss by the employment of 
ball-bearings in the gear-box, ball-bearings in the bevel drive, 
and ball-bearings in the road wheels. 

But in order to have a free-running chassis it is necessary 
that the engine shall be what is known as a “ lively ” engine. 
In the design of the Weigel engine there are several points 
to be noticed not found on other engines. The chief of these 
is the absence of a lengthy induction tube. In the Weigel 
engine a gas pocket is clamped between the cylinder castings 
(the cylinders are cast in pairs), and immediately under this 
is the carburettor. Adherents to that form of design which 
is characterised by a lengthy induction-tube have claimed 
that their design is economical, and that the Weigel par¬ 
ticular system, on account of the fact that the carburettor 
jet is so near the inlet valves, is uneconomical, but their 
arguments meet with refutation from the experience of those 
users of the car who get, as a rule, about seventeen or 
eighteen miles on one gallon of petrol with a heavy 40-h.p. 
touring body and a full load. 

One driver of a Weigel, who has made an amateur study of 
carburation, has got no less than 2i| miles to a gallon on a 
car which won first prize at an important hill-climb. This 
consumption on a 40-h.p. is really striking, and it proves that 
a high petrol consumption, such as one finds on several 
important English cars, is not necessarily an indication of 
power. 

The low-tension form of magneto ignition is used on this 
car, because it is believed to be the best, for the reason that 
in the low-tension form of ignition, as opposed to either a 
high-tension magneto or high-tension accumulator ignition, 
there is a positive flame, which secures very rapid combustion 
instead of an infinitesimal spark jumping across two points. 

A large petrol tank is employed, which is carried behind 


232 


THE AMATEUR MOTORIST 


the back axle, the petrol being fed to the carburettor by 
means of pressure supplied from the exhaust pipe. With this 
system there is never any fear of stopping on a hill through 
the fuel not feeding to the carburettor, as is occasionally the 
case with a gravity-fed fuel. A large tank is used, because 
with a 40-h.p. car large distances are very frequently travelled, 
and the makers believe in securing for their customers the 
minimum of trouble, so that a man may start from London 
and get to Newcastle without the necessity of buying petrol 
en route. 

Another special feature of the Weigel car is the lubrication 
system. This is of the variety usually known as the dredger 
type, and consists of a series of small oil buckets, which are 
driven at a rate of speed dependent on that of the engine, 
emptying themselves in the scoops fastened to pipes leading 
to those portions of the mechanism of the chassis which 
require the greatest amount of oil. The lubricator is fitted 
with a glass top, and is fastened to the centre of the dash¬ 
board, so that the driver can see that the lubrication system 
is in order. This glass top is occasionally very useful in 
traffic on account of the fact that even a good driver on a 
Weigel car is occasionally puzzled to know whether his 
engine is running or not when the car is at rest. A glance 
at the lubricator shows if this is working, and settles the 
question for him. 

The control of the Weigel car is extremely simple and 
very comfortable, not the least important feature being that 
the steering-wheel is of large diameter. There are three 
large pedals and a small button pedal; the larger pedals have 
been made particularly large, so that the whole of the sole of 
the driver’s foot can rest on the pedal, and give him that 
leverage which is the essence of safety. 

The clutch is of the multiple disc variety, and very easily 
operated ; it is coupled to the pedal on the extreme left, 
which has a flange on the left-hand side, in order to prevent 
the driver’s foot from slipping off. The other two pedals are 
brakes, and the small button pedal is the accelerator pedal. 
The consequence is that in ordinary touring the control of 


SOME CARS OF OUR OWN TIME 


233 


the Weigel car is confined, apart from the steering, to pressure 
of the right foot on the accelerator pedal, which opens when 
pushed downward, or, being released, closes the throttle, thus 
varying the engine speed at the v/ill of the driver. 

The live axle form of transmission has been chosen because 
it has been proved, time after time, that this is the most 
efficient, and, at the same time, the most economical. It 
certainly gives the sweetest running. With this type one 
obtains immunity from the rattle of noisy chains and the 
inevitable adjustment upon their wear. The day of the chain- 
driven car is over; its knell is rung, and in a few years’ time, 
it is safe to say, the only vehicles with chains will be the 
motor-omnibuses, if indeed they are not by that time as 
extinct as the “ boneshaker ” or the hobby-horse. Sooner or 
later the chain-drive will take its place amongst the almost 
forgotten antiquities, such as tube-burners and belt-driven 
motors. 

There are four changes of speed in the gear-box, which are 
accomplished by what is usually known as the “ gate-change.” 
As a rule, the car may be driven even in the thickest traffic 
upon the fourth speed, which is a direct drive, one change to 
third when the vehicle is almost stopped, and the ordinary 
driver may start upon the second with ease and certainty. 
The first speed is very rarely used ; it has been known to 
be employed by members of the Weigel Company in giving 
demonstrations of climbing “trick” hills with twelve or 
fourteen people all crowded into one car. 

The 40-h.p. Weigel car will attain a speed greater than 
that of the winner’s average in any Gordon-Bennett race, and 
will get up Handcross Hill on top speed with a full load of 
five people. 

Having said so much on design and control, a word or two 
remains to be said as to the material in the Weigel cars, for 
the workmanship speaks for itself Except for the magneto, 
the whole chassis is made of English material. Sheffield has 
yielded up the best of its steel, the Midlands have given their 
finest bronzes, English oak and ash arc employed in the 
construction of the wheels, and from the Black Country comes 


234 


THE AMATEUR MOTORIST 


all that is essential in iron. Huge dies have been made for 
those parts that are pressed and stamped from the solid, such 
as the front axle, which is made of nickel steel. Metallurgical 
chemists have given the fruits of their knowledge in the 
composition of the more precious combinations of the baser 
metals, such as the malleable iron castings and the vanadium 
steel crank-shaft. 

****** 

The Weigel is a car upon which I have been able to 
bestow the highest praise in the public press. I can only add 
that Mr. Weigel’s claims for his achievements do not appear 
to be in any way exaggerated. 

The price of the Weigel chassis is ;^550 for the new 25-h.p. 
model and £ 7^0 for the 40-h.p. The firm is putting a six- 
cylinder car upon the market for 1908. 


The White 

BY FREDERIC COLEMAN 

To reply to the point-blank query, “ What do I claim for 
the White car ? ” would be to answer a question which is, 
of course, frequently put to me in the course of the daily 
routine of the motor business. To my mind actual claim for 
a car on any particular point should never be made unless 
there is some specific official record of indisputable public 
performance or some generally and universally recognised 
feature to back up the claim. So far do I go in this belief 
that rather than make a claim along any particular line and 
support it by a reference to the official proof of my contention 
I have learned to save time in business, and merely give the 
proof without the preliminary introduction of the statement 
of claim. 

As the above question asks my claims, however, I will 
endeavour to put a few forward in as brief a manner as 
is consistent with surety that my points are thoroughly 
understood. 


SOME CARS OF OUR OWN TIME 235 

The White Company manufactures a good motor-car 
which is sold at a reasonable price, comparing well with the 
price of other vehicles of like size and power. Its cars arc 
made of the best material, and with the best workmanship 
that can be procured, are tested with the utmost care, and the 
Company’s officials are given a free hand in dealing with 
the purchaser of a motor-car after he has once paid his 
money and become the possessor of the vehicle. 

The car runs smoothly and quietly, with great flexibility, is 
economical as regards the actual amount of money which need 
be spent upon it in the course of the years of its running, and 
is easy to handle and keep in order. Personally, I have 
sufficient confidence in the car as regards the excellence of 
its material and the character of the workmanship employed 
upon it to give a three years’ guarantee with every car I sell. 
The comfort of the car is one of its strong points, and the 
winning of the gold medal in last year’s Town Carriage 
Competition, which was very much on the lines of a “luxury 
contest,” has amply demonstrated that any claim we may 
make for the delightful running of the White Car has been 
well borne out when its qualities in that connection have 
been put to the test in competition with the best motor-cars 
of to-day. Without being speed monsters the White Cars 
are powerful. 

Nowadays motorists are getting to be comparatively well 
acquainted with the appearance of the White Car and have 
an opportunity to judge for themselves its speed on the road 
and its particularly noticeable speed up hills. 

The reliability of the White Car has been pretty well 
recognised and the car has shown up well with possibly one 
exception in every reliability trial in which it has been 
entered for the last six years. The immediate success of a 
similar type of car in a very much severer reliability trial 
both preceded and followed the only instance in which the 
public performance on the White Car was disappointing ; but 
whether good fortune or bad fortune may attend the White 
Car in reliability trials—and certainly it has had its share of 
good fortune in the past six years—the real record of reliability 


236 


THE AMATEUR MOTORIST 


is what the car will do in the hands of the individual owner 
as it performs its daily work. 

As is well known, there have been at more or less frequent 
intervals discussions in the motor press with regard to the 
merits of the various systems of motor-car propulsion, and in 
no instance has the high opinion in which a car is held 
by individual owners throughout the country been more 
thoroughly demonstrated or more undeniably established 
than in the case of the White Steam Car. 

To deal with other than generalities in a few notes in 
answer to such a query as heads the foregoing paragraphs 
would be to repeat the arguments which usually confront 
the prospective motor-car purchaser both in the trade 
literature which is compiled for his particular benefit, and in 
the statements which perform the bulk of what might be 
called “ showroom conversaziones.” 

The White Car is no miracle, but is a really good, serviceable, 
reliable motor-car, built to last, and possessing points of 
silence, absence of vibration, comfort of seating arrangement, 
splendid spring suspension, and flexible motion, which place 
it in the highest class for luxury. 

****** 

The White Steam Car is admittedly the world’s premier 
steam car. As this book is intended primarily for the users 
of petrol cars, I will add but a note in recognition of the fact 
that many engineers still believe that “ steam ” is the power 
of the future and will eventually prevail. This claim the 
White has done much to advance. The silence and sweet 
running of the steam car are above dispute. 


BOOK IV 

TOURING 


CHAPTER XXII 


THE MOTOR TOURIST 



EN years of motor touring have filled a heavy note-book 


JL of mine with many a line of pleasant reminiscences. 
There is nothing more delightful in its way than to turn the 
pages of such a document as this. True, the lines speak of 
past delights ; in some sense they resemble the menu of a 
dinner which is eaten—but then it may have been an unusually 
excellent dinner and you may be still exchanging letters with 
the “ little thing in pink ” who was your vis-a-vis. There are 
few motor holidays the story of which is not written in some 
friendship or other; there are few which have not taught even 
the expert much. 

It is the latter point of view which emboldens me to repeat 
at least one of my earlier articles on touring in France before 
stating the 1908 point of view. The paper in question 
appeared in Cassell's Magazine some two years ago, but it 
spoke chiefly of a tour in France in the early “nineties,” and 
to me, at least, it recalls an unforgotten initiative and a 
perfect holiday. 


France and the Car 


Sir Charles Wyndham has a story of a chauffeur and a 
butchers cart, which may well be kept in mind by the motor- 
man on his way to the Continent. 

Sir Charles, it appears, was making for a southern port in a 


238 


THE AMATEUR MOTORIST 


friend’s motor-car, when a pugnacious butcher, desiring to 
contest a right of way, as obstinate Britishers will, deliberately 
drove in front of the sturdy Panhard and waited to see what 
would happen. The good man does not appear to have been 
disappointed. Confused by the suddenness of the coup de 
cherniii, so to speak, the chauffeur directed his aim full amid¬ 
ships, with the immediate result of over-turning both the 
horse and the butcher, and leaving the mutton in the ditch. 
The scene which followed appears to have been characteristic 
of a flourishing British industry. 

“’Ere,” said the butcher to Sir Charles, “you sit on my 
’orse’s ’ead while I go for the police.” 

There are ample joys attending motoring in England, but 
it is safe to say that the man who has not motored abroad 
knows very little of an engaging pastime. It is not alone that 
the P'rench roads are incomparable, the police intelligent and 
the distances superb : it is that general atmosphere of welcome 
and of knowledge which chiefly delights the experienced 
motorist. Let him safely escape the snares of bucolic police¬ 
men on our English highways, put his car upon a steamer at 
Folkestone or Newhaven, and no sooner has he accomplished 
the dangers of the waters than he is in a land where the very 
children babble of the mechanical mysteries and every gate is 
open to welcome him. France is rapidly becoming a nation 
of motorists, of manufacturers battling sturdily for the trade 
of the world, and of a people who realise the enormous possi¬ 
bilities of this gigantic industry. In the villages you may find 
mechanics who would put some of our trained workmen to 
shame. The great national roads—blessed be the name of 
Napoleon !—are the finest in the world. The solitudes are 
magnificent. Shall we wonder, then, that so many English¬ 
men turn their eyes across the Channel when the musical 
word “ holidays ” is heard, and seek in new pleasures forgetful¬ 
ness of the petty campaigns which British conservatism is 
still capable of waging against all that makes for mechanical 
progress ? 

I have made many long journeys on the Continent, but the 
memory of the first of them is not to be readily displaced. 


THE MOTOR TOURIST 


239 


The car was an old 12-h.p. Panhard, the month was May, 
the destination Bordeaux. I can well recollect with what 
wonder and pleasure I first beheld a French highroad, and 
the bewitching novelty of the whole experience—even to one 
not unfamiliar with a motor-car. No sooner had we left 
Versailles behind us than we seemed to enter upon a great 
avenue, vastly wide, superb in its surface, everywhere bordered 
by acacias in full bloom ; and this road, with scarce a break 
in its magnificence, was the one which carried us to the 
Garonne. If there were any criticism to be offered, it was 
that of the rural desolation, so marked, so weird, that, in the 
end, we seemed to be travelling almost through a depopulated 
land. I can well recollect one stretch beyond Tours of nearly 
twenty miles of absolutely straight road, upon which the only 
living thing to be discovered was an old priest sitting by the 
gate of a wood and diligently reading his breviary. It is true 
that the route to the unsurpassable cathedral of Chartres 
reflected not a little of Parisian activity, and especially of the 
approaching race for the Gordon-Bennet Cup. I had never 
seen a racing motor-car until the first day of this adventure ; 
but as we drew nearer to Chartres I remember espying a 
white speck in the distance ; and this speck, approaching with 
incredible swiftness, presently took the shape of the spotlessly 
white figure of the great Frenchman, Girardot, out for a 
breather in his new car; and certainly driving, even in those 
days, little less than sixty miles an hour. As a flash he 
approached us ; as a flash he went by. And the impression 
that remained with me was that I had never seen, in all my 
life, such an exhibition of daring and of speed. 

It is a fine lonely road from Chartres to Tours, and if you 
make a diversion to Rambouillet, to the famous home of the 
daughter of Julia Savelli and her court, you will enjoy much 
picturesque woodland scenery, and understand, it may be, that 
peculiar note of melancholy which Zola has struck with such 
effect in all his accounts of Western PTance. Here is a land 
where the peasant is, for a truth, bent down toward the earth 
from which he sprang. Vast plains suggest interminable 
distances and horizon infinitely grey. The note of bells 


240 


THE AMATEUR MOTORIST 


comes musically from afar, but does not lift the peasant 
from the soil. There is a vast chilling silence on the 
scene. A man is afraid almost of the sound of his own 
voice. 

At Tours, where all the talk is naturally of Balzac, I 
remember a quaint hotel where the majority of the bedrooms 
were upon the ground floor—a convenient arrangement, if the 
soldiers and their love-making be left out of account. I have 
lively recollections of being aroused somewhere about the hour 
of midnight by a gallant defender of his country who had 
seated himself upon my window-sill and there addressed a 
somewhat incoherent proposal of marriage to a fair lady 
who was not visible. Apart from these trifling objections, 
the hotel was a typical example of those comfortable old 
hostelries which await the motorist in France and are in¬ 
variably remembered by him with pleasure. True, the 
request for a bath sometimes provokes unexpected astonish¬ 
ment. I have even been told that there was not water 
enough in the house for such a mad undertaking! And I 
would strongly advise all tourists to include a rubber bath 
among their luggage and to be firm when their demand is for 
water. 

From Tours you follow a flat and lonely road by Poitiers 
(which gives the man of dates his opportunity) southward to 
Angouleme and the house which Balzac builded upon a hill. 
This is now, sic transit gloria^ a comfortable hotel, and one, 
I should imagine, surpassed in its view by none in France. 
Far below you, as you stand upon the balcony of a bedroom 
majestically dingy, stretches the valley of the Garonne 
and all its historic vineyards. Here are the thousand farms 
which put the claret upon your table. Here is your wine 
merchant’s circular set out, not at so much a dozen, but 
in smiling acres and fertile fields which border the mighty 
river of the south. St. Estephe, St. Julien, Pommard, 
Chateau La Rose—you will be greeted by some familiar 
name every step of the road hence to Bordeaux ; and once 
within the city, the wine of kings is at your command. Let 
the teetotaler reflect that we are here to-day and gone 


THE MOTOR TOURIST 


241 

tomorrow. The evening is ours, but the morning of the 
day is his. 

I am writing of this road to Bordeaux merely as a route 
7 iationale^ of which, as we know, France can boast abundance. 
There can be no more delightful holiday than one spent in 
this enchanting land. Nor need the cost of it affright even 
the parsimonious. It is true that you must, upon entering 
France, pay twenty-five pounds or so to the capacious maw 
of a frowning Custom-house. But this money is faithfully 
returned to you upon leaving. And, for the rest, you will 
more than save the fee for crossing by the moderate figures 
of the hotel bill with which you will be presented. A motor¬ 
car is now to be sent direct from London to Boulogne for 
a fee of two guineas. You can ship your car from Havre 
to Southampton for seventy-one shillings and three pence; 
or from Calais to Dover at five guineas. If you be a member 
of the Automobile Club—which of course you are—the sub¬ 
sequent proceedings will interest you very considerably ; and 
you will get your permission to circulate and to drive as 
readily as a man can buy a paper. The examination to 
which you will be subjected by an obliging Frenchman remains 
a demonstration of Gallic courtesy. I drove my car the 
length of a street and was then addressed with a cheery 
“ olright.” It is true that this obliging gentleman sub- 
.sequently added the information that his brother sold motor 
tyres and would be glad to fill up my tank with petrol. I 
bowed to the blessed traditions of liberty and, with a side- 
glance upon equality and fraternity, hastened to grease the 
wheels of a brother so obliging. But the formalities, provided 
a man can drive at all, are the merest farce. And once they have 
been obeyed, the rewards are rich. I would only add the warning 
that it is exceedingly dangerous and monstrously foolish to 
set out for a motor tour in France without first obeying these 
useful laws. Certainly the French authorities will stand no 
nonsense. If a man be caught driving without his “papers,” 
he will have three days’ imprisonment in a dirty cell, though 
he were the great Sir Lord Cambell-Balfour himself. And 
“ sarve him right ” will be the general verdict. 


16 


242 


THE AMATEUR MOTORIST 


Frenchmen, indeed, are omnivorous in demanding your 
“ papers.” In my experience, however, they are excelled in 
this pleasant weakness by their neighbours, the Spaniards. 
Driving a car towards Irun and the frontier, a friend of mine 
was one day stopped by two civil guards—so-called, I believe, 
from the freshness and the originality of their language. 
These men spoke no English, but they asked, truculently 
and with violence, for my friend’s “ papers ”; and upon his 
producing an English passport, which was all that he carried, 
they immediately announced their intention of conveying 
him to the nearest guard-house. As this lay ten miles distant 
upon the road he must follow, he consented to go with them ; 
and being arrived at a little wayside station, he was there con¬ 
fronted by a liliputian lieutenant who had no more English 
than his subordinates, but whose language was even more 
alarming. This officious person carried the precious passport, 
as a treasure, into his private office, and there we may imagine 
he began to spell it out as best he could. Doubtless the 
magnificent flourishes with which “ We, Talbot Gascoyne 
Cecil, Marquis of Salisbury, etc.,” recommended my touring 
friend to the care of foreign authorities was completely mis¬ 
understood by this earnest man, who immediately came to 
the conclusion that the Marquis of Salisbury himself was 
touring in Spain and that he had arrested him. What 
pen may describe the scene which followed ! Behold the 
lieutenant, literally running from the station to the road, 
prostrating himself before the astonished motorist and hasten¬ 
ing to assure him that the guard should be immediately 
turned out. 

“ I did not know,” he said, “ that my Lord Marquis was 
travelling in Spain. Ten thousand apologies. I abase myself 
at your lordship’s feet.” 

And did my travelling friend object? Wise man—not a 
word. As a true defender of the British honour, he permitted 
that escort to accompany him, and in semi-state he arrived at 
the gates of the delectable land. 



CHAPTER XXIII 


TOURING ABROAD —continued 

T he fact that time flies is brought home to me somewhat 
humorously when I read again the article I have 
quoted in the previous chapter. It is odd, in this year 1907, 
to hear of “a little old-fashioned hotel” at Tours ^vhere the 
soldiers came to make love upon your window-sill. In truth, 
they pulled that famous old place down long ago ; and there 
is now a vain palace in its stead, where you may hear the very 
latest American phrases going to and fro like shuttlecocks 
over the dinner-table. Nor is it, I think, any longer possible 
to speak of touring in France in terms of unmeasured praise. 
The old charm is there, it is true ; there are thousands of 
miles of unsurpassable roads; we can, especially if we visit 
the remote south or west, still discover those paths of primi¬ 
tive solitude so delightful to us—but heaven help those who 
motor overmuch in the environs of Paris. I drove over the 
road from the capital to Fontainebleu recently, and fouhd it 
but a sea of flints. The dust, the noise, the stench were 
unbearable, and Fontainebleu itself resembled a motor garage. 
It reeked of the Bourse and Wall Street; the dresses blinded 
one ; the chatter was deafening. And the same story is to be 
told of all the great highways near the city. There is neither 
peace nor comfort to be found upon them. 

My own advice to the amateur who would make his first 
tour in France, is to travel either through Brittany or south 
to Toulouse, Tarbcs, and that bewitching country of Provence. 
He will cross the Channel by the Folkestone-Boulogne route, 
of course, and pay a new tribute (we all have paid it) to the 
courtesy of Major Stevens, who is in South-Eastern command 
at Boulogne. I have shipped a car by the P'olkestone- 

243 


244 


THE AMATEUR MOTORIST 


Boulogne route upon many occasions, and invariably met 
with the greatest consideration at Major Stevens’s hands. 
Not only do his clerks help at the seat of Custom, but the 
methods by which the cars are handled could hardly be im¬ 
proved. They stand out in sharp contrast with the rough- 
and-ready treatment to be met with at other ports, and I am 
not surprised to hear that Boulogne is now capturing the best 
part of the Continental motor traffic. Major Stevens has 
insisted from the first upon cars being hoisted in trays. This 
saves our paint, and is so satisfactory that it is hardly worth 
while to pay an insurance policy against the transit. Else¬ 
where the story is sometimes different. I had my wheels 
nearly stripped of paint upon one occasion, and a remonstrance 
merely obtained the assurance that I was lucky to be landed 
with any wheels at all ! 

Let it be said at once that, whether we go via Southampton 
and Havre or by Folkestone and Dieppe, the Automobile 
Club can be of great service to us. It is now possible to pay 
Custom duties here in London, and to leave them as a per¬ 
manent deposit until the month of December in any given 
year. This means that we may go in and out of France as 
often as we please during the twelve months, providing w'e 
are careful to have our papers properly stamped by the 
Custom House officials upon entering the country and leaving 
it As for the French papers, if we have a club-driving cer¬ 
tificate, our French permit to drive is now issued as a matter 
of course; but we must still get our permit for the car—and 
that, to be candid, is better got at Havre than at Boulogne. 
The timorous beginner, afraid of the reception which may 
await him across the Channel, should put himself boldly into 
the Club’s hands, and he will be cared for as an only son. 
But the “ old hand ” will certainly go via Folkestone and 
Boulogne, for Havre makes no appeal to him. 

Writing in the autumn of the present year concerning the 
stereotyped exodus from our shores to the several ports across 
the Channel, I made the following observations : 

“ The motorist in search of a route is a person we meet 
frequently just now. There will be, of course, the general 


TOURING ABROAD 


245 


exodus to western France during the next few weeks. Some 
hundreds of Englishmen and Americans will again listen to 
the resonant voice of the guide, who tells us the story of 
Diana of Poictiers and the nimble Francis. The chateau 
country will claim its tribute as of yore ; no man may doubt 
it. People with but the vaguest notion whether Henry killed 
Guise or Guise killed Henry will climb the steps of Blois and 
hear once more the tragic tale in a tongue they do not under¬ 
stand. So much is very natural, for all P^urope has not a 
more bewitching country than this. The road to Bordeaux 
is undoubtedly the finest in the world. 

“ The western tour, should the present doleful weather con¬ 
tinue, will open to us a wider horizon. It is commonly too 
hot in July to contemplate any journey which carries us south 
of Angouleme. We get to Tours, perhaps turn eastward to 
Blois and Orleans, succumb to the desire to see if any one is 
still in Paris, and wind up at the Jardin de Paris. But with 
July promising cool weather new possibilities present them¬ 
selves. 

“ We shall continue from Angouleme to Bordeaux and Pau, 
see the famous church of St. Sernin at Toulouse, perhaps get 
over to the other coast, and ask the wine-growers to tell us of 
their troubles. 

“ This is a famous tour, and I do not wonder that the neo¬ 
phyte chooses it for his first venture abroad. When he is 
a little schooled in Continental travel, when he understands 
that Custom House officers do not draw their swords if they 
find a box of wax matches in his pocket, and that it is possible 
to get food without putting his finger halfway down his 
throat, then he may dare remoter countries. His second 
journey may carry him down the famous road from Paris to 
Avignon, thence to the sea ; but he will be a foolish beginner 
who risks his neck upon the Corniche while yet in statu 
pupill'ari. Perhaps he will do well to halt at Avignon, to see 
Nimcs and Arles, and then come home vid Clermont Ferrand. 
This gives colour and height to the venture. It is a pretty 
run, and three weeks at least should be spent upon it, for 
there is much on the way that is very well worth seeing.” 


246 


THE AMATEUR MOTORIST 


But what of eastern France? How rarely do you meet 
men who turn their bonnets towards the Jura ! Whoever 
remembers that the Germans were nearly beaten at Grave- 
lotte or would like to know how MacMahon felt at Worth ? 
There is a delightful expedition to be made to the battlefields 
of 1870, to Mezieres, Verdun, Nancy, Belfort, Besan^on, and 
then round the Lake of Geneva even to Chamonix. If this 
excursion has its drawbacks, they lie upon the German 
frontier. Not only is it somewhat difficult to find the German 
custom-house officer asleep, but the policemen also are 
inquisitive. Indeed, of all the countries in Europe, Germany 
is the most difficult at this moment for the motorist. 

Personally I am hoping that the British editors who 
recently visited Germany have earned their bread, to say 
nothing of their salt, and made all this easier for us. It used 
to be quite another story. I can remember the time when 
you drove up to the German frontier in Alsace or Lorraine, 
waited until the officer had gone to have his dinner, and then 
made a dash for it. Once inside Germany all trouble ceased. 

The police were then delightfully acquiescent; you saluted 
them and spoke in the worst German you could command, to 
which they answered in the neatest and most satisfying 
English. The people were civil, the hotels took you in. 
Alas, however, that it is all of yesterday ; gone into the 
Ewigkeit. 

What you have to do when touring in Germany nowadays 
is chiefly to keep out of the country. If you venture it, 
prepare for quick payments and small returns ; and go first 
to Mr. Herbert Gladstone with your certificate of registration 
and your licence to drive. These Mr. Gladstone will stamp 
for you, and having given you his blessing in German will 
send you on to the consul-general for Germany, who lives in 
the suburbs of Finsbury Square. This gentleman will also 
bless you in German and cover you with red ink, after which 
you may present yourself at the German frontier and pay up 
forty good marks for the privilege of getting rid of them. 
This new tax permits you to stop in Germany for exactly 
thirty days; if you stop for thirty days and a quarter-of-an- 





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hour you will be haled before a person in gold lace who will 
take possession of your car to show that there is no ill-feeling. 
But in thirty days you will have had enough of it and so 
escape this danger. 

As for the custom duties, they amount to varying sums, 
according to the disposition of the gentleman at the frontier. 
It is no longer possible to pass this worthy while he is 
consuming beer in a neighbouring restaurant and crying 
“ hoch ” for the Kaiser. Should you do so he will telephone 
on to the nearest bureau, at which you will be promptly 
arrested and threatened with a sword. Sometimes, I am told, 
at remote stations such as those near the battlefields the local 
official is so overjoyed when you pay up the tax that he 
forgets to think of the customs at all; in which case you pay 
nothing, and get it back on leaving the country. 

Perhaps one may admit on pressure—often applied in 
Germany—that things have been a little exaggerated by other 
English tourists and that it is still possible to enjoy a very 
pleasant holiday in that delectable country. The experiment, 
at any rate, is well worth making by those who go to eastern 
France and desire to see the ground upon which von Moltke 
- stood and Bismarck chose his cigars. In Paris, unfortunately, 
they do not think so, and the members of the French auto¬ 
mobile clubs are earnestly exhorted to avoid Germany 
altogether in the present touring season. I have not myself 
visited Germany in a car for some two years, but I can 
scarcely believe that things are as bad as PTench report would 
have them to be. 

If touring in Germany be a business, a very different 
account may be given of touring in Holland. I have had the 
privilege of a chat on this subject with Mr. Wellington, who 
has now become Herr Spyker’s right-hand man at Amsterdam 
and who gives me a very roseate account of the possibilities 
of Holland. The roads are pav^, it is true, but not the pavi 
we associate with Belgium and north-eastern France. They 
are, in fact, Napoleonic roads, and the pav^ is excellent 
travelling. Mr. Wellington tells me that a most delightful 
round can be made in a fortnight and invariably to the satis- 


248 


THE AMATEUR MOTORIST 


faction of the tourist. You put your car upon a ship in the 
Thames and wake up at Amsterdam. There, naturally, you 
visit Herr Spyker’s works and see his new and admirable 
cars. You visit Haarlem, The Hague, Rotterdam', Utrecht, 
Arnheim, and again daring Germany you reach Cologne and 
then strike across for France. Holland itself is all-sufficient 
for the less venturesome, who should consider the country 
when making their summer plans. 

These pave roads about Amsterdam would seem to 
demand that we run through upon plain tyres ; Mr. Wellington 
certainly does not recommend non-skids. The roads of 
Holland are not hard upon tyres; they are suitable for fairly 
fast-running and for highly geared cars, and they certainly 
will appeal to all who love great spaces and whose eyes are 
gladdened by a far horizon. 

Whatever route we choose, by whatever road we travel, this 
touring across the Channel remains for many of us the 
supreme desire, the final tribute to the motor movement. 
Who has not a treasured recollection of glorious hours ? Who 
has thus travelled and remained insensible of his privileges ? 
Sitting here in a dark study, the gloom of London round 
about, I can depict an old French inn upon a height, red 
roofs and Gothic spires below the terrace upon which I walk; 
pink roses twining everywhere, and for my horizon the 
unsurpassable plain of the Garonne—that vast immensity, the 
wine country, that superb river we meet with such pleasure at 
Bordeaux, winding by the chateaux that have stood upon our 
dinner-tables through all the years of manhood. There is 
sunshine upon the town, miracles of peasants loll at their 
doors as they have lolled in many a picture which the Salon 
has given us—there are soldiers going to and fro briskly; 
perchance an old priest reading his breviary, but still with an 
eye for those who may be sinning as he goes. I know that I 
am in old France, and its atmosphere is all about me. And 
God send that Chicago may not come here ! 

The day is before me—the sun will shine through the long 
hours as it is shining now. My good car stands yonder 


TOURING ABROAD 


249 


ready to take me wheresoever I will. Shall it be to yonder 
unbroken horizon amid the vines and chateaux—or shall the 
west and north call me? In Paris the Bois will be a very 
garden of roses ; to-day, even old London may have seen the 
sun and rejoiced. But I am at no man’s beck and call—the 
car will annihilate distance for me : north or south, east or 
west, it shall carry me to-night to some sure haven such as 
this—where young men and maidens will laugh through the 
twilight, where the streets will be narrow and steep, the church 
a shrine of glorious antiquity, the inn a house that the 
children of romance have known. 

And this liberty is my holiday—these hours the roses 
which my car shall gather. 


CHAPTER XXIV 


ENGLISH TOURING 


N old motorist was telling me recently that a tour he 



made in England last Easter was entirely spoiled by 
the limitations of the Island. “ I had used the country up 
in a week,” he said ; clearly proving (a) that his was a case 
for the police, and (d) that he knew nothing whatever of 
touring in the proper sense of the word. 

Here was the possessor of a monstrous car; flying headlong 
upon the highroads; leaving, I do not doubt, dust and 
execrations behind him ; rushing from hotel to hotel ; telling 
you of his two hundred miles a day ; damning the old 
monuments as he went—^just a type that is disappearing, the 
type that discovered the motor-car and made its merits known 
to us. The sane majority even of those ancients have lived 
such impulses down. We have learned how to tour, we have 
learned to appreciate our own country even in the face of its 
limitations. 

And here a glance aside. There are many people who 
will not tour in England because of the police. They tell 
you that it is shameful to be trapped upon open highroads, 
a disgrace to British justice that men should be convicted 
by rabid anti-motoring benches upon the evidence of lying 
policemen. Far better, they say, to go to France and Italy, 
where common-sense prevails, and the police do not forget 
their manners. These are the good folk who speak with 
contempt of such benches as are to be found in Sussex 
and Huntingdon and Warwickshire, who tell you that 
notorious anti-motorists sit openly in judgment upon their 
fellow men, and are not ashamed to boast of their disgraceful 
rulings ; who ask what pleasure is to be found upon the 




ENGLISH TOURING 


251 


English highroads while such things be. To whom I answer 
that, with the exception of one or two counties the policeman 
bogey is greatly exaggerated, that the majority of the benches 
do consist of men who attempt to bring an open mind to 
their assistance, and never forget that they are English 
gentlemen. Even the half-pay colonel, the farmer with hay 
to sell, and the local auctioneer with houses to let, are 
sometimes reasonable—I have known an instance. Time is 
with us, for time must establish mechanical traction beyond 
all dispute. We must suffer the lying policeman yet a little 
while, continue for a season to regard his monstrous boots 
as an unpleasant object upon the wayside—but in the end 
we shall beat him. As well might he attempt to sweep up 
the sea as to arrest the progress of this mighty movement. 

So let us pay our fines cheerfully, regarding them in some 
sense as a martyr’s contribution to a good cause. When 
even bishops are dragged to the police-court upon a charge 
of exceeding the speed limit, then may the mere lay mortal 
abide in cheerfulness. A law is not a good law which the 
majority of men break without shame. Those of us who 
are most concerned with the motorist’s honour understand 
better than others, perhaps, the very deficiencies of the 
present Act and the way it has lent itself to abuse. We 
desire to protect the public, to be as little annoyance to the 
public as we can ; but we know that the public is not 
protected by summoning a man for driving at twenty-five 
miles an hour upon an open highroad, and that many of the 
so-called cases of driving to the public danger are trumped 
up by the police in the most shameless manner. In the 
end wisdom will prevail, but until it does prevail we must 
suffer with what grace we can the intolerable injustice which 
is meted out to us. 

An over-praised bogey, this of the police, I say, and one 
which should deter no tourist who, for the time being at 
any rate, would sec his country, his whole country, and 
nothing but his country. There is no law which compels us 
to tour either in Suffolk, in Huntingdon, or in Warwickshire. 
If we pass though those delectable counties we can travel 


252 


THE AMATEUR MOTORIST 


with such discretion that even Constable Allboots will be 
hard put to it to swear away our reputations. In the main, 
we shall go unmolested where we deserve to go unmolested. 
I have known men who have driven twenty thousand miles 
in England and never heard of a trap. Others fall into 
many traps in the first month—it is a question both of luck 
and of discretion. Now that we have the invaluable A.A. 
scouts upon the road to assist us in many ways, I would even 
say that luck is becoming of less account than prudence. 
And surely it is the duty of every motorist to support this 
admirable Automobile Association, and to encourage it to 
the utmost of his power. 

Let us suppose, however, that our amateur is above these 
wild alarms, and is determined to see England in his car. 
Whither first shall wisdom carry him ? Upon what highroad 
will he travel ? Certainly his object will not be to see many 
men and cities, but rather to seek those solitudes of which 
the poet Shelley has spoken with magic eloquence. For 
my part, I know no road upon which I would sooner make 
a beginning than the great highroad to Norwich. Setting 
out from London via Barnet and Hatfield, making for 
Stevenage and Royston, thence I would go to Newmarket, 
upon one of the finest motoring highroads which exist out of 
France. It is true that the village of Newmarket has 
been exceedingly unkind to us during recent months, but, 
at the worst, Newmarket is the matter of a mile or so of 
exceedingly careful driving; and directly we have passed 
its toll-bar we are away to Norwich upon a track whose every 
mile is one of pure delight. 

I say that it is a good road for a beginner, and I say so 
advisedly. The traffic problems presented are few. There 
are no dangerous hills. Should the amateur desire to try 
the speed of his car, he can do so without risk. And when 
he has arrived at Norwich there are many miles of delightful 
motoring before him, quiet drives through lonely lanes, the 
gloriously primitive Norfolk villages, for towns Cromer and 
Hunstanton, Yarmouth and Lowestoft—but chiefly a world 
apart; a world of men and women to whom London is 





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ENGLISH TOURING 


253 


hardly a name; whose longest journey abroad has been to 
a village not less primitive than their own ; a people with 
little love for the “ furriner,” but a very devotion to the 
herring. To live amongst these upon their wonderland, to 
visit marsh and fen with them, to sail a wherry upon their 
rivers and broads—such are some of the rewards which life 
has in store for the fortunate. And the motor-car opens up 
this land of magic as with a magician’s key. No longer do 
distances exist. There is no village so remote that we may 
not visit it—no place so hidden that we may not seek it out. 

For a second journey from town, I would name Gloucester 
and the west. Let our amateur drive from London to Oxford 
upon that famous road through Beaconsfield and High 
Wycombe ; let him lunch before the windows of Balliol and 
tell himself (if he be a Cambridge man) how greatly superior 
is Trinity to anything in this overpraised town ; let him go 
thence to Gloucester, and, making the “ New Inn” his head¬ 
quarters, let him prepare for the Forest of Dean, for Tintern ; 
and afterwards, if time permits, for the famous valley of the 
Wye, which shall reward him generously. Such journeys as 
these will make a motorist of him beyond all hope of cure. 
He will be driving to Edinburgh soon, talking of the lake 
country as though it lay just beyond Regent’s Park, and 
speak of Ireland in terms of warm eulogy. And John-o’- 
Groats—why does not the fellow live somewhere at the top 
of Scotland ? Let us get the car out and dine there before 
the week is out. 

Let me, despite these just ambitions, utter a word of 
caution in this place. However clever our novice may be, I 
beg him, for some months at any rate, to keep away from 
mountainous countries. It is all very well to “pooh-pooh” 
the dangers of the Scotch passes, to deride the difficulties of 
driving in Devonshire and Cornwall ; but they are facts none 
the less. One of my oldest friends was nearly killed upon 
Porlock Hill, in Somerset, because his brakes fired and the 
car ran away with him. Had he been more skilled, he would 
have put in the first gear before attempting so dangerous a 
descent, and .so saved a distressing accident. In the same 


254 


THE AMATEUR MOTORIST 


way, a man should have had some years’ experience before 
he attempts to drive upon a mountain road, with a cliff upon 
one hand and a precipice upon the other. Panic may fall 
upon him at any moment. Should an emergency arise, it 
is many odds to one that he will do the wrong thing. Even 
after many years he may embark upon such roads with just 
trepidation. 

One of my motoring nightmares is Mr. Weigel’s account 
of the famous accident to the Darracq driver in the Paris- 
Vienna race of 1902. The course upon this occasion crossed 
the wonderful Arlberg mountains, a continuous climb to vast 
heights—the rugged cliff upon one hand and a sheer drop of 
many thousand feet upon the other. Almost at the top of 
the pass, after many windings and twistings, about that 
which might have been the dome of St. Paul’s, Mr. Weigel 
came upon apparently a straight stretch of road, and there 
he espied the driver of the Darracq just ahead of him. Much 
to his astonishment, the poor fellow disappeared almost 
instantaneously from view, leading those behind to the im¬ 
pression that the track descended with marked abruptness. 
In very truth, however, it did nothing of the kind, but merely 
turned the bend of the rock at a right angle—a fact of which 
the unlucky pair in the Darracq had been quite in ignorance, 
for they held straight on and went clean over the precipice. 
When a friend obligingly held Mr. Weigel’s legs, that he 
might peer down the abyss, he discovered the car, looking 
no bigger than a toy, many thousand feet below; but Max, 
the driver of it, was nowhere to be seen. Naturally, it was 
impossible to believe that he could be alive ; but lo and 
behold! he came climbing up the pass from the depths 
presently, and merely remarked upon his wretched luck and 
the apparent impossibility of getting the car upon the road 
again. As for the chauffeur, he, happily, had been caught 
upon the brink, and was not even bruised—nor does any one 
know to this day how his companion escaped. Possibly he 
fell upon a ledge of rock some little way down the abyss ; 
there are those who say he was caught in the branches of a 
tree. The truth, perhaps, will never be known. 


ENGLISH TOURING 


255 


It being granted that our amateur will not drive upon such 
roads until he is master of his car, I may utter a word of 
caution concerning driving at night. This has been men¬ 
tioned in other chapters, but the warning cannot be uttered 
too often or with unnecessary emphasis. Night driving is 
perilous even to the oldest driver. The finest eyes in the 
world will tire sometimes when trying to follow the path of 
a powerful acetylene lamp. Should the beginner be com¬ 
pelled to drive at night, let him go with great caution, never 
exceeding fifteen miles an hour, and pulling up instantly 
should the road confuse him. 

I recall vivid experiences of night driving and one or two 
pretty escapes which might have been pretty accidents. 
Driving down into Lyons upon one occasion, the hour being 
almost midnight and the season winter, we came upon a 
heavy road mist at the steepest and most dangerous part of 
the descent. I lost the road entirely, and remembered for¬ 
gotten litanies. Nor were my nerves braced up by discovering, 
at a moment when the fog lifted, that my off-wheel was 
within nine inches of the brink of a chasm which dropped 
sheer many hundreds of feet. This is the kind of thing you 
remember when you have supped after the theatre, and the 
white wine has not agreed with you. It is also the kind 
of thing not to remember when you travel the same road 
again. 

Then, as a minor point, what of the domestic or ambulating 
mule ? He is a mouse-colour, perhaps, and your lights do 
not discover him. Sometimes you may not be aware of his 
presence at all until the bump awakes you from dreams. I 
remember overtaking a mule upon the Great North Road, 
and knowing nothing of the occurrence until his heels struck 
my bonnet with a resounding thwack. Po.ssibly I had been 
aware of some movement, apprehended danger almost in¬ 
stinctively, and slowed down to a mere crawl; but the mule 
was certainly there, and having shattered the near-side lamp 
with one kick, proceeded to deal equal justice to the other. 
This was amusing enough (from the mule’s point of view); 
but when his owner immediately demanded £s compen- 


256 THE AMATEUR MOTORIST 

sation, it occurred to me that the limits of comedy had been 
reached. 

Happily the perilous side of motoring is one that needs 
but occasional consideration. There is nothing safer, nothing 
more delightful, than this English touring when the car is 
driven in a rational manner. Of all the restful days I know, 
commend me to that which wakes me in a remote country 
town, and I know that a quiet day’s driving is before me. 
Last night, perhaps, I made the “ inn ” in good time to visit 
the Close and the cathedral precincts. Disdaining the 
table d'hote at 7.30 (full well I know the horrors of that in 
an English country town), I ordered a chicken and a pie and 
a “ snipe ” to wind up with. The “ snipe ” had come in a 
bottle—excellent old port of real vintage quality, and in a 
measure that even the faculty would approve. And after¬ 
wards there were the mock busy streets, the country shops, 
chaw-bacons at all the corners, Phyllis shy and peeping; 
and the bells—the majestic, all-musical bells ringing down 
the ages—the bells to which priest and puritan alike had 
listened ; the call to Mass and Matins—what would a 
cathedral town be without them ? You sleep to their music, 
you awake to their recall, leaping up from dreams which a 
great four-poster blessed. Perhaps Pickwick has buttoned up 
his gaiters in this very room ; here Tupman may have come 
to steal Winkle’s coat; Tom the bagman sat in yon chair, 
and winked at the widow in the yard below—the world of 
Dickens before other worlds, as it must ever be in the 
bedrooms of an English inn. 

And then the morning of the day. The great cathedral is 
open by this time, and your business is to deceive the verger, 
who would tell you of saints and sinners, of the living and of 
the dead, of the first founder and the last restorer (whom God 
forgive). This man is your enemy. Your mood cares nothing 
for Gothic or perpendicular; you call no curses upon Wyatt’s 
head ; it is of no interest to you whether the bones of Henry 
the king or John the scullion lie beneath the stones you 
tread. Willingly are you paying homage to the dead past, 
but not as these men pay it. This mighty temple stands to 


ENGLISH TOURING 


257 


you for the aspirations, the hopes, the fears, the joys, the 
tears of a thousand years. How many have knelt at these 
altars ! What whispered confessions of love and hate, of 
crime and sorrow! All buried, all forgotten—washed by the 
seas of time to the shores of eternity. Priest and penitent 
gone together ; lover and maid ; stern monk and grinning 
novice ; cavalier and roundhead—Time had done with them ; 
the curtain is down ; the play is ended. But this building 
stands supreme. Here was the centre of a mediaeval world. 
God knows of what it is the centre to-day, if not of the hopes 
and ambitions of petty canons and the intrigues which the 
Dean’s lady was early to detect. 

But the sunshine wakes you from your dreams for the 
second time. You are out in the close again, and the 
material side of you whispers “ham and eggs.” It must be 
ham and eggs, it could be nothing else in such a place. 

Coffee, of course, they cannot make ; but you will get 
plenty of good tea, and toast which is toast, and not bread 
with a margin about it. This you consume at leisure, and 
then for the car. An obliging ostler (if he has not put petrol 
in your water-tank, or vice versa), will turn you out spick and 
span. You pack up the luggage, load “her ” up, to the delight 
of the High Street, shake hands with your host (who is there 
for no other reason), and are away again. It will be another 
town to-night, again a great church or a beautiful river calling 
you,—but what a sweet-smelling country between, hill and 
dale, meadows, English meadows and the glory of their 
blossoms, the old winding road, mile after mile of its white 
and patient face; and the villages, here upon the hill-side, 
there in the valleys, or smiling between the trees, or hidden 
away just where no village ought to be ! 1 he pageant is an 

unending delight of view and vista. The air is a very 
draught of life. 

You will lunch in the open air, of course, and thereby 
save much money. A luncheon basket is an indispensable 
adjunct to any car. There is nothing in the whole story of 
motoring more pleasant than the ai fresco luncheon taken 
upon the borders of a shady wood, or upon the grassland 

17 


258 THE AMATEUR MOTORIST 

of a sunny common. As things go, the hotel-keeper will 
rarely let you off under twelve or fifteen shillings for a party 
of four and a driver, but you can lunch by the road-side for 
five shillings, and well at that. Tea, as I have said, is best 
taken at an inn ; but about lunch there should be no two 
opinions whatever, nor will there be before many months 
have passed. This motoring is always an expensive pursuit; 
but we can lighten the expense of it in many ways—and 
none more so than by taking lunch in the open air when 
touring. Wise also is the man who makes a centre for his 
travels, driving from London, say, to Cromer, Lincoln, 
Gloucester, Shrewsbury, Winchester, or some other con¬ 
siderable town; whence he will make some well-planned 
excursion every day. Otherwise he must tip a whole staff 
of servants every morning at breakfast time. There is 
positively no alternative—a fact which many forget when 
planning a holiday and trying to estimate the cost of it. 

This question of money, unfortunately, will intrude, and 
even the glamour of our pastime is unable to blind us wholly 
to a wise consideration of ways and means. Speaking by the 
book, I have found it almost impossible to tour a party of 
four in France at a less cost than fifty pounds a week, while 
in England the cost may be a little more. There is no good 
attempting to disguise the fact that the English inn-keeper 
believes all motorists to be millionaires, and charges them 
upon such a belief The day will come when competition 
will help him to change his opinion and to learn wisdom— 
but that day is not yet. Meanwhile he is robbing himself of 
much profitable custom, sending many to France who would 
be very chauvinists if their means permitted them to remain 
at home. Let him consider the matter before it is too late. 

There is but one word more to be said concerning touring 
in England, and that is a word concerning our clothes. Let 
us always remember that we shall rarely be too warm upon a 
motor, and may often be too cold. Heavy overcoats should 
always be carried in the car, which, of course, will be provided 
with a hood and a glass screen. It is wisdom to dress even 
in summer as though spring or autumnal weather must be 


ENGLISH TOURING 


259 


looked for. I believe greatly in good frieze suits for men 
and woollen underclothing. Wear a knitted waistcoat if you 
like—you will have a dinner suit in your bag, and be com¬ 
fortable o’ nights. But never dress lightly because the sun is 
shining, nor forget your heavy coats because it is not raining. 
These will be of stout cloth lined with fur—I do not believe 
in leather clothing, which is neither warm nor durable. Good 
cloth is at all times worth a dozen of it; while for a woman 
fur appears to be the only thing for heavy cloaks. True it 
is that in the summer we prefer the ample waterproof to 
the fur coat, and this is best got at Burberry’s—experts in the 
matter, and knowing even better than we ourselves what is 
good for us. 

The main thing to remember, however, is that we have no 
climate, and that of all our national friends the Gulf Stream 
appears to be the most fickle. 


CHAPTER XXV 


LUGGAGE-CARRYING 

1 READ in the technical press recently a noteworthy 
letter concerning luggage. This is a subject very much 
in the air, or in the dust, just now. There must be some 
hundreds of cars going over to France every week, and we 
may be quite sure that luggage-carrying is a problem to 
every owner. The letter to which I refer speaks of our 
troubles in no measured terms. The writer, Mr. Wills, 
declares that things have been going from bad to worse. He 
could not be more emphatic in his indictment. 

When we first went touring on motor-cars we were the 
willing victims of discomfort. Our interests then lay in the 
novelty of the thing. It was wonderful to be whirled through 
the country at these high speeds, to obliterate distance, and 
to enjoy the bewitching revelations of this fascinating pastime. 
If we did not send our luggage on by train, we were content 
with any old hand-bag, tossed at hazard into the tonneau. 
Everything became secondary to the domination of enthu¬ 
siasm. It was delightful to arrive at hotels and not to 
be recognised by our friends. A very muddy man passed, 
ipso facto^ for a better motorist than a less muddy man. It 
took about three weeks to get the dust out of our hair, and 
we rather liked to keep it there. After all, we were the 
pioneers and our future did not lie behind us. 

The second stage was one of apology. We were beginning 
to admit the claims of the man who must trouble about such 
trivialities as clothes. Of course he would have to put his 
clothes somewhere—though he was a beast to mention them 
—and they went well enough with the petrol cans. A few 
makers began about this time to put luggage canopies upon 

260 


LUGGAGE-CARRYING 


26 


their cars, and upon these canopies the particular man put his 
luggage. This proceeding was little to the liking of the true- 
blue motorist. The canopy with heavy luggage to add to 
its deficiencies affected the gravity of the car strangely. We 
were face to face with the risks of a capsize, and could not 
ignore them. When the luggage was too heavy for our 
canopy and threatened to come through upon our heads, then 
we had to sit heroically and hold it up with our feet. In 
very few cases was the innovation a solution of this trouble¬ 
some problem. 

Mr. Wills declares that the golden age of luggage-carrying 
was represented by the old 12-h.p. Lanchester. When Mr. 
Lanchester put his engine in the middle of the chassis he 
built over it an admirable receptacle for luggage, and one 
never bettered by any modern device. You could put two 
portmanteaux in the space between the front and back seats 
and keep them tolerably free of dust. Later on, however, 
Mr. Lanchester submitted to the popular clamour, and his 
cars became in shape much as other cars. Once more the 
luggage problem faced us. Our twenty-guinea dressing-bags 
(full of wonderful implements upon TJie Times system) again 
reposed with the extra can of petrol upon the floor of the 
car. Failing this, it went upon the grille behind—but we 
were always anxious about it, though we did not remember 
an occasion upon which we used the two hundred implements 
aforesaid. 

Some people object to this grille very much, but I am 
inclined to think that it is unjustly abused, provided the 
trunks we put upon it are made by some one who knows his 
business—say, by J. B. Brooks, of Birmingham—then there 
is little to be said against it. It is necessary, at the same 
time, to be sure that we do not throw any undue strain upon 
our rear springs. I remember driving a little 15-h.p. car of 
which the carburettor refused to act when there was heavy 
luggage on the grille; in other words, the car was tilted up 
at the front, and the petrol did not flow. This was an excep¬ 
tional case, and needs little consideration. The number of 
such cars is small, while high-powered machines with well- 


262 


THE AMATEUR MOTORIST 


built back axles will carry any amount of luggage on the 
grille. Those who travel in a modern limousine know little 
of these difficulties. But its stuffy atmosphere, the sense of 
confinement, the limited view, deprive this class of carriage 
of any claim to serious consideration upon the part of the 
true motorist. 

So far as luggage-carrying upon an ordinary side-entrance 
car goes, I think much can be done by using the long foot¬ 
board for tools. I saw a Rochet-Schneider the other day, of 
which the footboards were very nests of cunning boxes. The 
driver told me that he could carry all his tools in the various 
enclosed trays upon the footboard, a provision which left the 
large compartment under the rear seats at the disposal of the 
travellers. These carried two large trunks upon the grille 
behind, and used the space in the tonneau for hold-alls and 
wraps. The hold-all is a much-abused contrivance, but I 
am inclined to think that it plays an excellent part in the 
equipment of the car. Its chief advantage is that it is soft, 
and does not scratch the paint. You can carry a couple of 
hold-alls in the tonneau, and cover them with a rug to keep 
out the dust. During a recent tour in the West of England 
I made the discovery that clothes thus carried were in a 
better state at the journey’s end than any I have taken with 
me on such a tour before. 

The main thing, after all, is to acquire the habit of carrying 
little luggage. A change is necessary, and with that a dinner 
suit, but Louis Seize clocks and inlaid gold jewel-boxes are 
much better in museums. Whole wool if you like, but not 
too much of it. For my part I am directly opposed to the 
system of sending luggage in advance. There is no greater 
bore living than the man who hurries to the railway station 
directly he arrives to see what has become of his Japanese 
silk dressing-gown. This man prefers Irish frieze to gobelins. 
He would not cross the street to see St. Peter’s if his fancy 
waistcoats had not arrived. You arrive at Gloucester, say, 
and wish to run on to Stratford-on-Avon. You find that he 
has notions of his own, and has booked his luggage to Bath. 
I have known such a fellow spend the best part of the day in 


LUGGAGE-CARRYING 


263 


asking a London and North-Western Railway clerk what a 
Great-Western clerk has done with his dressing-bag and the 
twenty scent-bottles it contained. He could not keep away 
from his bag, and temporary separation moved him almost to 
tears. So have nothing whatever to do with the guest who 
wants to send his luggage on. Let him go by train, and you 
take the bags. ' It is the wiser course. 

Luggage equipment, remember, is not expensive, and wise 
provision adds greatly to the comfort of the tourist. You can 
buy a couple of excellent trunks to fit the grille behind for 
seven guineas the pair. Tool-boxes upon the footboards are 
comparatively inexpensive. The common or household hold- 
all is to be had for a few shillings. The great desideratum 
is order. See that your chauffeur keeps his tools in neat 
array, and does not distribute them over the car. Curb 
his disorderly ambitions, and insist upon your share of what 
accommodation there may be. The fellow will give in if you 
be firm ; he is likely to become an exacting tyrant otherwise. 


CHAPTER XXVI 


INSURANCE 


HERE are many schemes afloat at the moment for 



1 the insurance of our cars ; but it is astonishing how 
many people remain uninsured—they just take their luck. 
Possibly they have an overweening confidence in themselves 
or in the dashing French chauffeur who came to them with 
such splendid recommendations. Other people have acci¬ 
dents, but they will not; or if they do, a ;^io note will cover 
the bill. Of course, the car might get burnt, and so they are 
not unwilling to insure it against the perils of fire. Perhaps 
they put on a small policy to provide for accidental damage ; 
but even if they think of it, their insurance against third-party 
claims is often grossly inadequate. 

Now all this is a very serious matter to those concerned, 
and one which no motorist can afford to ignore. I do not 
know how the figures work out, but I should imagine that car 
fires are as frequent as any in the insurance market, while 
third-party claims must amount to a staggering total. 

Remember that the most trivial accident may make a 
beautiful bonfire of your car; you may get a back-fire in the 
carburettor, may find your petrol turned on and your tank 
burning before you can count ten. Or perhaps there is a 
slight leakage from the petrol-cock itself, a little petrol upon 
the floor, and then the obliging friend with a cigarette and a 
match appears. There is no more surprised person in Europe 
than this friend when, having thrown the lighted match upon 
the pavement, he sees a flame of petrol flare up above his 
head. Having burnt your car, he will speak of the shock 
which the explosion gave him. And he will add pleasantly— 
“ Of course the old ’bus is insured for twice its value ? ” 


264 


INSURANCE 


265 


So we see that the risks of fire are very real indeed. What¬ 
ever care an owner or driver may take, it seems impossible 
sometimes to guard against the slight leakage of petrol 
which may work so much mischief. Fires will take place 
in carburettors whatever we may say or do. There is 
a cigarette-smoking confraternity which hovers about the 
bonnets of motor-cars wherever it can, and this has lighted 
many a candle in merry England which neither sand nor rugs 
will put out. My own opinion is that a man should be insured 
against fire to the last penny of possible loss. Everything in 
his stable should be covered—lamps and tyres, and even tools. 
The earlier insurance policies, at any rate, were often grossly 
unfair to us in this respect. Nothing but the car itself was 
covered by them. A man might have spent £Too in spare 
covers, lamps, horns, speed-indicators, patent hoods and 
screens—not twopence did the insurance companies care 
about this. We were victimised by them grossly until we 
discovered the truth. 

It is therefore imperative for the insurer to see that the 
whole contents of his motor-stable are insured, and insured 
adequately. Let him be careful to specify this in his policy. 
If he goes to Lloyds via the Automobile Association or the 
Motor Union, he will do well enough. The policies issued 
by these companies cover nearly all possible loss. The 
fire-insurance clause provides for loss or damage to car 
and accessories by fire, explosion, self-ignition, or lightning 
anywhere in the United Kingdom. Why the same loss 
should not be covered out of the United Kingdom I myself 
entirely fail to see. At least, a trifling increase of premium 
should make this deficiency good—nor do I think that a 
policy would be refused to any hard-headed motorist who 
insists upon such an extension of the clause. Incidentally 
these remarks apply to the further insurance of our cars 
against accidental damage. We are insured under some 
policies issued at Lloyds if we bear the first ;£^io of the 
loss; but there is no reason whatever, transit executed, 
why the companies should not cover us as readily when 
we are touring on the Continent as in England. The risks 


266 


THE AMATEUR MOTORIST 


certainly are not greater—the conditions of travel are 
precisely similar. 

I can well understand the insurance companies refusing to 
include transit to and from the Continent in the ordinary 
policy. There are undoubtedly risks when one’s car is being 
shipped upon a steamer ; and the nature of these is clearly 
marked v/hen we remember that even the South-Eastern 
Railway charges us a sovereign to insure the safe passage 
of our car from Folkestone by Boulogne. The transit apart, 
and this could easily be provided for by an annual payment, 
I cannot for the life of me see why a motor-car, which is 
a touring vehicle, should practically only be fully insured 
when it is not touring. No doubt, as I have said before, 
some of the insurance companies profited greatly by our 
ignorance in the early days. I was once asked a sum equal 
to fifty per cent, of my whole payment for a fortnight’s tour 
in France. All sorts of cunning clauses forbade us in 
those days to get a halfpenny for the very things which 
most readily suffered by a motor accident. We could claim 
if the car itself was damaged ; but when a butcher’s cart 
smashed our valuable lamps, or a van burst a new cover, or a 
local repairer hit the speed-indicator with a hammer to see 
what was inside it, we never got a farthing. But we have 
changed all that, the Automobile Association and the 
Motor Union having greatly helped us to better ways. 

Important as fire insurance and insurance against damage 
by accident are, I name them as trivial compared with the 
possible risks from third-party claims. This was first brought 
home to me when an unfortunate motorist in the south of 
London, a most careful driver and a considerate one, being 
practically half run down by a deaf cyclist, was compelled to 
pay ;^i,500 to that cyclist’s widow. Notwithstanding the 
verdict of a coroner’s jury which had declared emphatically 
that the motor driver was not to blame, a tender-hearted 
civil jury, assuming his wealth, immediately gave this pre¬ 
posterous verdict. If the injustice had a brighter side, it 
was in the warning it conveyed to motorists generally as to 
the risks the new pastime was bringing upon them. Even 


INSURANCE 


267 

owners of the smallest cars, men of the most moderate 
means, began to perceive that they might be ruined in an 
instant should a deaf or blind person walk into their car 
and a jury of sufficient hostility to motor-cars be impanelled. 

From that time, no doubt, we began largely to increase our 
policies against third claims. We perceived that an accident, 
possibly unavoidable, might mulct us in a sum of a thousand 
sovereigns, or even more. Some people nowadays go so far 
as to insure against an individual claim of as much as ^1,500. 
Their policies can be drawn to meet any number of these 
claims in any particular year. And I do think that a 
thousand pounds a claim, law costs excluded, is the very 
lowest sum that any prudent person should insure. This, of 
course, means somewhat a heavy premium. But those who 
insure at Lloyds get a return of a certain percentage of their 
outlay at the end of the year if no claim has been made. 
And it is important that we remember the frequency of 
motor accidents if we are tempted to regard such a preserva¬ 
tion as extravagant. 

I do not think there is very much risk of burglary where 
motorists are concerned. It would be extremely easy to 
steal a motor-car—extremely difficult to do anything with it 
when you had stolen it. There is no career for our sons in 
this business. Let a car be stolen and the news is flashed 
around the district before the thief has made up his mind 
which road to take ; every garage in the country would be 
warned, every ostler would be on the look-out for the stolen 
car. Under these circumstances, insurance against burglary 
is a mere sop to the very timid ; while the insurance of the 
owner himself is entirely a personal matter, with which we 
have little concern. Our chauffeurs nowadays must all be 
insured under the new Compensation Act. We pay a pound 
apiece for them and give ourselves no further concern about 
them. Possibly if there were a few less of the kind in the 
world, this would be a happier sphere. They are amongst 
those who never would be missed. 

To put the matter in the briefest way, the ideal policy 
should run as follows : 


268 


THE AMATEUR MOTORIST 


Firstly. To insure the car, the lamps, the accessories, the 
tyres against fire to their full value. 

Secondly. To insure the car, the lamps, the accessories, 
the tyres against accidental damage—the owner bearing the 
first five or ten pounds of loss if he wishes largely to reduce 
his premium. 

Thirdly. To insure against third-party claims up to 1,000 
at least a claim, law co.sts excluded, and any number of 
claims to be made in any one year. The Company to pay 
the law costs. 

Fourthly. To rule out all conditions which would modify 
the payment of this premium, racing alone excepted. The 
car to be driven by the owner or any one he may appoint, 
such driver holding a proper licence. 

Fifthly. The car to be covered upon the Continent. The 
transit to and from the Continent to be at the insurer’s risk 
unless special arrangements are made to the contrary. 


BOOK V 

THE MOTOR^CYCLE 

BY A. C. PEMBERTON 

CHAPTER XXVII 
THE FIRST MOTOR-CYCLES 

I N writing of the motor-cycic, there is no occasion to 
search histories. The invention and development of the 
mechanically propelled bicycle and tricycle are modern 
matters; indeed, the whole affair is one of a couple of 
decades, and of this period the last ten years embrace the 
real history of progress. 

Previous to the passing of the Act in 1896, permitting the 
use of mechanically propelled vehicles on the highway and 
dismissing the man with the red flag, there had been several 
attempts to produce motor-driven cycles. 

The first which came to my notice was a steam-driven 
tricycle, shown at the Stanley Show in the ’eighties. That 
this machine was capable of being propelled by power was 
conclusively proved when its inventor, a baronet of renown, 
came before the magistrates and was duly fined for using 
it on the highway. Let us hope that the police evidence 
in this instance was more accurate than is often the case 
to-day ! 

About this time a steam bicycle was also shown, with a 
small verticle engine and boiler on the head of the bicycle, 
driving on the front wheel, in a similar manner to the early 
front-driven Werners : but a very cursory examination was 
sufficient to convince any practical engineer that the power 

269 


270 THE AMATEUR MOTORIST 

was too small to be of any service, and nothing more was 
heard of it. 

About the end of 1894 a petrol-driven motor-bicycle was 
exhibited at the National Show at the Crystal Palace and 
excited both interest and a good deal of ridicule from 
members of the cycle trade. Some of those who scoffed 
at this early attempt are now, ironically enough, large 
manufacturers of motor-vehicles. The machine was con¬ 
structed with a two-cylinder petrol motor, the cylinders being 
arranged at the side of the rear compression stays of the 
bicycle, and driving direct—locomotive style—on the rear- 
wheel axle. The cylinders were water-cooled, and the tank 
for the circulating water was made to do duty as the back 
mudguard. Profiting by modern experience, it is now easy 
to see that any bicycle driven by an explosion engine in that 
direct manner was foredoomed to be a failure, but at that 
time it looked the most practical and simplest form of 
construction, and that it would go a friend of mine had a 
most convincing proof. 

At the request of the makers, this intrepid adventurer 
made a trial of the machine, and no sooner had he started 
than he found himself unable to stop. The machine, gather¬ 
ing way with a series of appalling jerks, rapidly attained 
a pace of nearly thirty miles an hour. To abandon a hold 
upon the handles was to court disaster—my friend, needless 
to say, was quite unaccustomed to steer a self-propelled 
machine at a speed then thought terrific; and for nearly 
twenty miles was he hurled along a French road. In the 
end, becoming more confident, he managed to release his 
hand and to start turning the taps. At first his efforts only 
increased the speed, then they were but too successful. The 
machine pulled up so savagely that bicycle and rider came 
heavily to earth. No real damage was done, but the man 
returned by train ; and although the victim has always beer a 
staunch supporter of the motor movement, I have never 
heard of his again venturing on any form of motor-cycle. 

A similar bicycle to the one described was taken at a later 
date to the Coventry track and shown in running order; but 










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si 




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*. 

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*-iv 


I V''l 










THE FIRST MOTOR-CYCLES 


271 


the tests were not very satisfactory and were brought to a 
conclusion by a fire in the carburettor. This apparently 
frightened off any prospective buyers, and nothing more was 
done with it—although Colonel Holden, seeking to remove the 
defects of a direct drive with a two-cylinder motor, con¬ 
structed a bicycle on somewhat similar lines but with a 
four-cylinder engine. An improvement, certainly, but not 
sufficiently so to make the type really successful. A few 
were manufactured and sold, one even attempting to 
complete the opening run to Brighton on Emancipation 
Day; but the pattern was wrong and soon died a natural 
death. 

Previous to the advent of the motor-bicycle in England, 
Count De Dion had been experimenting with motor-tricycles 
in Paris. His early attempt with steam as motive power 
showed him the necessity of the abolition of the steam boiler 
if success were to be won. He turned his attention to the 
internal combustion engine, and produced the De Dion 
tricycle, fitted with a petrol motor of a design that has been 
universally copied by the makers of all air-cooled cycle- 
motors, and even to the present day is difficult to beat for 
all-round efficiency. These early De Dion tricycles proved 
themselves the first really practical motor-cycles ; and in spite 
of their low power, about ij hp., they were capable, with 
pedal assistance, of a very fair speed. Owing to the very low 
engine gear, about nine to one, they would climb hills better 
than one would expect; but the sheltered position of the 
engine at the rear of the rider did not conduce to efficient 
cooling, and overheating was a too prevalent complaint. 
The power of the engine was afterwards increased and a 
forecarriage fitted to carry a passenger, converting the 
machine into a four-wheeled vehicle ; but the original defects 
still remained, and, although some are still in use at the 
present time, proving that this type of machine was capable 
of useful service, the pattern has long been extinct. 

About the time that De Dion was perfecting his petrol- 
driven tricycle, another inventor, Leon Bollee, was busy on 
very similar lines to those employed by makers of the 


2/2 


THE AMATEUR MOTORIST 


modern tricar, and the tandem tricycles of his make proved 
the fastest of all the various machines taking part in the 
opening run to Brighton. 

Whether these original BolRe tricycles should be properly 
classed as motor-cycles or cars must to a great extent be a 
matter of opinion. In any case they were very ingenious 
machines fitted with change-speed gear, and belt-driving 
which could be made to do duty as a clutch by slackening 
the belt. The air-cooled motor was powerful enough, but 
they suffered from overheating caused both by the position 
of the motor and the method of igniting the charge with a hot 
tube, kept at a red heat by means of a blow-lamp. In 
addition to mechanical troubles this pattern of machine 
appeared far more prone to side-slip than the modern tricar. 
It enjoyed but brief favour; and being a difficult machine 
to drive, probably suffered from the incompetence of its 
owners, who blamed it rather than their own inability to 
control an air-cooled engine. 

Following the failure of the early direct-driven motor¬ 
bicycle, the single-track machine remained under a cloud for 
a short time, until Messrs. Werner introduced their early 
models fitted with a neat little motor clipped on the handle¬ 
bars and front forks of an ordinary pattern bicycle. This 
was driven by a belt to a rim on the front wheel of the 
machine. It was undoubtedly the substitution of the belt for 
the more positive means of driving by chain and gear wheels, 
which permitted the necessary slip and elasticity to make this 
machine a success. It had its faults, but it was a practical 
thing, and upon the later types, with electrical ignition, many 
good rides were performed. 

Contemporary with the later days of the front-driven 
motor-bicycle, Minerva Motors of Antwerp brought out a 
small complete motor—set for clipping on the down tube of a 
standard pattern roadster bicycle with a belt-drive to the rear 
wheel. This innovation may be said to mark the era of the 
modern motor-bicycle—the combination of an engine hung low 
down in the centre of the frame, tank suspended from the top 
tube, and a plain belt-drive to rear wheel. Although almost 


THE FIRST MOTOR-CYCLES 273 

toy-like in dimensions, and of feeble power, say f h.p. at best, 
the machine was practical and met with instant success. 

A small boom took place in motor-cycles. Many and 
sundry patterns were introduced, of which probably Singer’s 
machine, with a complete motor set in the rear wheel, was the 
most distinctive. But nearly every maker of push-cycles 
either introduced a pattern of his own or bought an engine 
and slung it in any convenient position of the frame on one 
of his standard pattern bicycles. 

Many weird and wonderful “ contraptions ” made their 
appearance—in addition to designs of real merit, such as the 
Phelon and Moore bicycles of Messrs. Humber & Co., a 
pattern still successfully marketed by the inventors, and the 
worm-driven machine invented by Starley (not now made). 
The result of this boom had the natural effect—it put the 
sport in a bad odour. Those who invested in the experi¬ 
mental machines found themselves saddled with badly built 
and still worse designed “ crocks ” which were a constant 
source of trouble; and to make matters worse, the local 
cycle man, rejoicing in the newly found calling of “motor 
expert,” was utterly incompetent in the majority of cases to 
put right the most trivial derangements. 

Disgusted with machines which spent more time in the 
workshop than on the road, many riders either gave them up 
or turned their attention to cars, and a slump speedily set in 
among motor-cycle manufacturers which, unfortunately, not 
only affected the makers of the indifferent types which had 
been the root of the trouble, but brought down as well several 
old-established manufacturers of the ordinary cycles who had 
embarked too deeply in the motor-cycle movement. At the 
same time, it caused others to drop the manufacture of motor- 
propelled cycles with undignified celerity. But this clearing 
of the air, both among riders and makers of motor-cycles, has 
not been an unmixed evil. In the trade it has done a lot of 
good—the fittest have survived; instead of the ugly high-built 
machine of a couple of years ago, we have now the modern 
motor-bicycle, low-built, safe on greasy roads, comfortable to 
ride, and capable of taking the severest grades at a speed 


274 the amateur MOTORIST 

only excelled by the most powerful cars. Moreover, it is a 
reliable mount, running for a thousand miles or more with 
hardly an adjustment. 

Even among riders the weeding-out process has done good. 
A motor-cyclist has to be his own chauffeur, and the man 
who is incompetent to effect a roadside repair or adjustment 
is out of place on a motor-cycle. He should buy a car and 
hire a man to drive it for him. 


CHAPTER XXVIII 


THE CHOICE OF A MOTOR-CYCLE 
O a rich man the necessary sum to purchase one of 



X the best motor-bicycles is not of much consequence, 
and whether it be wisely laid out or the reverse is of small 
moment. But in the majority of cases, the prospective 
owner of a motor-cycle is a man who, when he invests fifty 
pounds, wants good value for his money. The old adage that 
experience has to be paid for still holds good: but the wise 
man profits as much as he can by the experience for which 
others have paid. In giving my advice as to the choice of 
a machine, I can assure my readers that I have myself paid, 
in some instances, dearly for my own experience. 

Before recommending a mount, it is necessary to know 
what particular service the rider will expect of it, and 
whether he is a complete novice, or an old hand. Is the 
machine wanted for comparatively short runs near home, 
or for serious touring, which may embrace all the most 
picturesque parts of the United Kingdom and the Continent? 
Lastly, is it to be used solely as a bicycle, or made to do 
double duty, with a side-car or forecarriage attached ? 

I will take the case of the complete novice first, and I 
will presume he is already well at home on the ordinary push- 
bicycle. Both for his own sake and that of others whom 
he may meet on the road, I should certainly never recom¬ 
mend any one to go in for motor-cycling without a fair 
experience as an ordinary cyclist. 

Undoubtedly the best course a novice can pursue is to 
invest in a good second-hand machine, if he is in a position 
to assure himself that the mount he contemplates purchasing 
is in good condition, and is not a faked-up, worn-out old 


2^6 


THE AMATEUR MOTORIST 


“crock." A second-hand motor-cycle is a most difficult 
machine of which to judge the condition. Fresh from the 
hands of a really skilful “ faker,” nothing short of a detailed 
examination of the engine and bearings will disclose its 
actual condition, and when a second-hand mount is offered 
for inspection, it is unreasonable to expect the seller to pull 
it to pieces at the beck and call of every possible purchaser. 
For this reason the novice will do well to avoid such places 
as sale rooms, which abound with pitfalls for the unwary, and 
either to buy a machine from a friend who can give him 
its history, or to put his trust in a local dealer (if a reliable 
man) and secure one of the mounts which these men are 
always getting from their regular customers in part payment 
for later models. 

When selecting a second-hand machine, the following are 
the principal points to be remembered : The bicycle portion 
of the machine should be examined, the front forks sighted 
to see that they have not been set back in collision, and the 
main frame tubes examined close to the head for the kinks, 
which generally follow a bad “ pitch in.” By stooping down 
a sight can be taken of the plane of the two wheels, to 
see that they are in track, and that the frame has not been 
'twisted by a spill. A glance from behind will show whether 
the belt rim is in a line with the engine pulley. Both wheels 
should then be revolved to see if they run truly. Notice 
at the same time if the belt rim be concentric with the rim of 
the wheel, or if there be any flat places in the wheels caused 
by striking obstacles when running fast. The buyer should 
next test the holding power of the brakes, and, when his 
examination of the cycle portion of the machine is thus 
completed, he will probably have found some defects, and 
will have to use his judgment as to their seriousness or 
otherwise. If defects are found all round it is a fair con¬ 
clusion that the machine has had a bad time of it, and a 
machine with a frame or forks bearing evidence of a bad 
collision is, to my mind, untrustworthy. But a defective 
wheel or damaged rim is not an expensive item to replace, 
and may have been due to such a mishap as striking a 


THE CHOICE OF A MOTOR-CYCLE 277 

brick in the dark at speed, without in any way damaging 
the other part of the machine. 

Supposing the bicycle portion passes this test, we now 
come to the crucial point of the state of the engine. Re¬ 
moving the belt and grasping the engine pulley firmly, test 
first for up-and-down shake. It should be quite firm in 
this direction, but a little end-play horizontally is allow¬ 
able. Then test for play in the big end and gudgeon pin 
by revolving the pulley backwards and forwards at half 
stroke. If there is any appreciable slackness in these bear¬ 
ings, it will be easily felt, and is generally the cause of the 
engine knocking more or less badly, until it is repaired by 
rebushing. 

The next thing is to remove the contact-breaker cover 
and see what state the firing cam is in. If the base plate of 
the contact breaker is a fairly firm fit on the crank case, 
it should revolve freely during its prescribed arc without 
being shaky. By getting hold of the firing cam and attempt¬ 
ing to revolve it in either direction, one can get an idea 
of the amount of back lash in the two-to-one gears. The 
place to find the wear in these gears is just where the 
exhaust valve begins to open. Revolve the engine until 
the tappet is just lifting the valve, then remove the strain of 
the valve spring by lifting the valve with the exhaust-valve 
lifter and test. The next point in the examination is one 
which necessitates taking out the exhaust valve. 

This is not a lengthy job, and should not be objected to 
by the seller, and it will teach much. The state of the 
valve alone will tell a tale. One can read from it if the 
engine has been continually allowed to run hot, a state 
of things which may arise through a variety of causes, such 
as bad driving, too rich a mixture, or a defect in the design 
of the engine itself. But the chief object of taking out 
the valve is to examine the seating, and to see that the 
previous owner has not ground it away to a depth which will 
prevent the head rising enough to afford that clear passage 
for the exhaust gases, without which no engine will keep 
cool. Make a point of examining the seat closely fi 5 r small 


278 


THE AMATEUR MOTORIST 


cracks ; they are prone to occur at this point, and a defective 
exhaust-valve seating is beyond repair. It entails either 
a new cylinder head, or both cylinder head and cylinder 
if they happen to be cast in one piece, as is often the 
case. 

After the engine has received attention, proceed to the 
ignition. If by a magneto, the best test will be as to the 
regularity with which it fires the charge. My experience 
of magnetos is that they deteriorate little in use. The trans¬ 
mission often wears, but it is not costly to replace, and as 
long as the magneto fires regularly there is not much wrong 
with it. If the machine is fitted with the ordinary high- 
tension system by coil and accumulator, the coil can be 
passed so long as it answers the test of firing properly. The 
accumulator can be judged by appearance alone by one 
used to the work, but the novice must be warned that if 
the plates appear covered with white deposit they are badly 
sulphated, and if he finds the terminals coated with green 
deposit, and the inside of the tank compartment holding the 
cells more or less covered with a similar coating, not unlike 
common salt, the acid has been leaking, and that cell or cells 
will be a nuisance. 

So much for the detailed examination, which will occupy 
far less time than it has taken to describe. Now for the 
practical test. Let down the stand, get into the saddle, 
inject a fair dose of paraffin into the cylinder head, pedal 
the machine round briskly, with the exhaust valve lifted, and 
listen if the engine “ knocks.” Then give the engine a run 
under power for a few seconds; but do not expect it to fire 
with regularity, or nicely, immediately after the paraffin, the 
object of which is to dissolve any extra thick oil which the 
seller may have carefully put in to avoid any knock, and to 
increase the compression. This latter can be tested by drop¬ 
ping the exhaust valve and putting the whole of one’s weight 
on one pedal. If it is in good order, it should take fully ten 
seconds to force the engine over ; but I have known engines 
which would hold up for more than a minute, and, on the 
other hand, I have examined engines which pulled well. 


THE CHOICE OF A MOTOR-CYCLE 279 

although the compression was so poor that they would not 
support ones weight at all. 

Supposing the machine to have answered all these tests in 
a satisfactory manner, there still remains what an experienced 
buyer would take first—a short trial on the road. As our 
buyer is a novice, this would convey little to him ; but if 
there is a decent hill handy, and he can persuade the seller 
to show its paces up this, he will get a good idea of its 
capabilities ; but he must remember that a machine which 
will romp up a stiff gradient with eight stone up will make 
a very different show with a twelve-stone rider, and possibly 
fail altogether, unless aided by vigorous pedalling, with a really 
heavy weight, or when pulling a trailer or side-car. 

In giving these few hints as to the choice of a second-hand 
machine, my readers will have noticed that I have refrained 
from giving any advice as to choice of pattern or the power 
of the suitable machine. Advice on these points applies 
equally to new and second-hand machines, and by reading 
the following pages would-be purchasers should get a good 
idea of what will suit their requirements. 

The choice offered to a motor-cyclist at the present time 
is a wide one. He has the option of investing in a machine 
varying in weight from 70 lb. to over 2 cwt., and fitted 
with an engine showing anything between and 8 h.-p. 
He may have a machine fitted with one, two, three, or four 
cylinders, with rigid or spring frame. He is offered the 
simplicity of a plain, single-geared belt drive, or, if he should 
prefer it, a chain-driven with or without free engine clutches, 
and many kinds of two-speed gears. If the novice is a man 
with plenty of money and a thirst for experimenting, he will 
be given plenty of opportunity of discovering the defects in 
patterns prematurely marketed, without sufficient experience 
by their vendors to disclose their defects. 

When one is choosing a motor-cycle the individuality of its 
prospective owner is a feature not to be lost sight of. Some 
men, without a mechanical training, are born tinkers, with a 
natural mechanical genius which enables them patiently to 
tackle tricky adjustments and derive satisfaction from a 


28 o 


THE AMATEUR MOTORIST 


mount which, in other hands, would be condemned as “ alto¬ 
gether too much trouble.” To the first class of rider one can 
safely recommend any of the high-class twin-cylinder machines 
on the market (fitted with two-speed gear for certain classes 
of work), spring forks, and, if desired, spring frame. To the 
latter class of rider one cannot recommend too simple a design, 
but, preferably, it should be a plain single-cylinder machine, 
with magneto ignition and single-gear belt drive. 

Now as to the weight and power of the machine. I myself 
have long been looking for the ideal light-weight, as ready 
and as handy as our old friend the push-bike ; but I have not 
yet found it. Light-weight motor-bicycles we have, such as 
the F.N., La Motosacoche, the N.S.U., and the Fairy. I have 
made personal trial of the second of these alone : but I have 
heard the F.N. well spoken of by riders, and have seen it 
perform creditably in hill climbs. 

To the Motosacoche I have given a fair trial, and I must 
say that in the hands of a rider who does not mind assisting 
it with the pedals it is a very fair hill-climber, and quite 
capable of twenty-five miles an hour on the flat. The motor 
attachment, which is sold complete for affixing to any strong 
roadster machine, is beautifully made; but to my fancy the 
bicycle portion of the complete machines might be much 
improved. Strange to say, the chief faults I found in this 
machine were undoubtedly caused by its light weight. I 
missed the easy, swinging motion of the heavy, powerful 
mount, and the absence of weight in the machine made it 
uncomfortable to ride faster than fifteen miles an hour over 
anything but the best roads. It was also certainly harder to 
start than many a 3 h.-p. I have ridden. Had I had the 
task of designing the bicycle portion, I think I could have 
turned out a more comfortable affair, even at the expense of 
an extra 10 lb. in weight. That this machine is a practical 
success is proved by the extent of its popularity on the 
Continent. Fitted with a very high pedalling gear and in 
the hands of a speed “ merchant,” I should expect some fine 
performances to be done on it. 

Single-cylinder machines seem to be settling down to an 



The Phoenix, a Medium-Weight Tricar with Water-cooled Engine. 



Examples of Singer Bicycle with Engine in Rear Wheel. 









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THE CHOICE OF A MOTOR-CYCLE 281 


average of 3I h.p., as represented by cylinder dimensions of 
about 82-mm. bore by 88-mm. stroke, and a very useful size 
this is. It has sufficient power to convey a rider of twelve 
stone in weight, with, say, an extra two stone of luggage, over 
nearly every hill he is likely to meet on any road in regular 
use in the country. If fitted with a two-speed gear, it has 
ample power to do good work with a passenger attachment, 
when rider and passenger are not of the heavy-weight order. 
It is economical in petrol, easy to keep in order, and, in a 
hill-climbing contest, will often make a good fight with a 
“twin” of nearly double the power. It is, indeed, a sturdy 
champion, hard to beat either uphill or on the flat, and 
among its triumphs may be mentioned the Cycling Tourist 
Trophy Race of 1907. 

For the rider who does not mind the trouble occasioned by 
keeping a pair of cylinders carefully tuned up to synchronise 
exactly, the twin-cylinder has many charms. Getting two 
impulses for one, it gives a very steady pull, and accelerates 
rapidly after a check on a hill. It is a grand machine to use 
for passenger work, and, with a pair of light-weight riders, 
say not over twenty stone in all, and a light passenger 
attachment, there are not many hills in ordinary country 
it will not take with a single gear, while its speed in a 
“ policey ” district is sufficient to entitle its driver to the 
maximum penalty every time he falls into the clutches of 
the law. But it has its drawbacks—it consumes double the 
electricity, and more petrol than a single-cylinder machine, 
and if it be not in perfect order it is a most indifferent 
performer. One cylinder of a pair firing late, or with a 
weak inlet spring, will have a most amazing effect. There 
are also a double set of ignition points to be kept adjusted 
in exact relation to one another. Lastly,many twins have given 
trouble from defective lubrication either in one or the other 
cylinder, and from this arises the sister fault of overheating, 
especially of the rear cylinder, which is of course shielded 
to a certain extent by the front one. It is only quite recently 
that makers have discovered the correct method of coupling 
up the inlet pipes to the carburettor, so as to ensure an even 


282 


THE AMATEUR MOTORIST 


supply of gas to each cylinder. There is no doubt that as vve 
progress, the later pattern twins will be much less trouble than 
the earlier ones have been. The tv/in-cylinder machine has 
undoubtedly an advantage over the single in theory, and 
should prove eventually its superiority in practice ; but it 
is not the machine for the lazy rider, who objects to spend 
the necessary time to keep it in order. 

Three-cylinder machines are at present almost non¬ 
existent ; a few experimental ones have been made, with 
what success I cannot say; but as they are not a marketable 
commodity their claims do not interest the ordinary buyer. 

Four-cylinders have now been with us some time. The 
first I recollect seeing was the invention of Mr. Charles Binks, 
and he read a very instructive paper on this type before the 
Institute of Cycle and Motor Engineers. With the early 
four-cylinder machine the great difficulty was that the extra 
friction of the four cylinders, added to the great loss of power 
by heat radiation to the cylinder walls, consumed the bulk 
of the available power. With larger cylinders this has been 
overcome to a great extent, but there is still another fault of 
troublesome nature. If driven throttled down, the suction 
draws up the lubricating oil past the piston-rings, and this 
fouls the sparking-plugs. With some machines this has 
been a most persistent fault; but recently I have heard 
much better accounts of the late patterns, and I have seen 
them doing good work on the road. The noise of the exhaust 
on this type of machine is quite distinct from anything else. 
At a distance it sounds like the hum of an electric motor, 
while at close quarters it is far too pronounced to render 
riding in its company pleasant. All the extra trouble of a 
twin, as compared with a single, is of course doubled with 
this pattern, and it wants much care to keep it in good tune. 

When the rider has settled to his own satisfaction the 
relative merits of single versus multi cylinder he will be 
confronted with what a year or two ago was a vexed 
question—the respective claims of a belt- or chain-driven 
machine. If he follows popular opinion, there is only one 
answer to this question, for fully 99 per cent, of the machines 


THE CHOICE OF A MOTOR-CYCLE 283 

now made are fitted with belt driving, and I myself prefer 
it to any other system I have tried. It has faults, not a few, 
but in spite of these it is the simplest and kindest drive I 
know for a bicycle or light tricar. The very hum of the 
chain is harassing, and when it is even a fraction out of 
pitch it sends a tremor through the whole machine. It also 
entails the complication of an extra countershaft and clutch 
to moderate the fierceness of its drive. 

There are, certainly, one or two patterns of successful chain- 
drivers on the market. Of these the Phelon and Moore is the 
best known. This machine, aided by a most successful two- 
speed gear, has done well in many competitions, and has 
many satisfied patrons ; but nevertheless the belt remains 
the favourite, although it is only quite recently that belt 
driving has become properly understood by the trade. 
Even in the year 1905 manufacturers were sending out both 
pulleys and belt rims at any angle which struck their fancy, 
often far removed from the 28° which we now look upon 
as the standard. The belt manufacturers themselves were 
uncertain as to the angle to which to cut their belts, many 
of these being cut as obtuse as 40°. The consequence was 
that belts seldom fitted either pulley or belt rim, and unless 
they were excessively tight they never drove efficiently. 

Many riders had most exasperating experiences until 
Messrs. Ormerod, of Rochdale, brought out the Watawata 
belt, and impressed upon its users the necessity of accuracy 
of angle in pulleys and belt rims, with sufficient depth of 
groove to prevent bottoming. The Watawata was the first 
really flexible belt on the market, and as a fine-weather belt 
it is perfect. It will pull when dead slack, and allow 
sufficient imperceptible slip to neutralise the thud of the 
engine at slow speed ; but, being a leather belt, it is unfair 
to expect it to stand day after day in wet weather without 
attention, and this is what a rubber belt will do, upon which 
account I recommend riders to sport a couple of belts, and 
when they get their leather belt wet, take it off, well oil it with 
cylinder oil, and give it a rest for a day to dry. As prevention 

better than cure, it is better to avoid getting a leather belt 


284 


THE AMATEUR MOTORIST 


saturated by using in its stead a rubber one in bad weather. 
This will save the messy job of belt cleaning. 

The diameter of the belt should be proportioned to the 
power of the engine. A belt three-quarters of an inch wide, 
in either rubber or good leather, will transmit 3 h.p. nicely. 
Seven-eighths answers well up to 4J h.p. ; above this power 
it is advisable to use an inch belt. While on the subject 
of belts a word on the belt-fastener will be appropriate. 
There are many of these on the market, and they are generally 
effective ; but, so far, only a few have been brought out which 
permit of the belt being unhooked. I look upon a hook- 
fastener as a real comfort, for a variety of reasons. It much 
facilitates repairs to the belt, as they can be done away from 
the machine in the most convenient spot, say on the nearest 
gate-post, and under shelter if it be raining. It enables the 
rider, to a certain extent, to safeguard the machine against 
unauthorised use or theft when he has occasion to leave 
it in a garage or against a fence while he has a look at 
the country. Lastly, by using a belt with two fasteners, and 
a short inserted piece of about a foot, one can readily shorten 
it without delay on the roadside by exchanging this piece for 
one half an inch shorter which can be carried in the tool bag. 
The rider in this case should, at a favourable opportunity, take 
an inch out of the piece removed, and when this is again 
exchanged it will effect a shortening of another half-inch 
in the belt. The actual time of shortening a belt by this 
means is about thirty seconds, and the saving in discom¬ 
fort in the dark, or when it is raining, is a thing to be 
appreciated. 

Down to the present time the majority of motor-bicycles 
have been fitted with a single gear, and the general adaptation 
of the two-speed or variable gears has been a matter of dis¬ 
cussion which has waxed fierce in that bright little paper 
devoted to the interest of the sport, The Motor-cycle, and has 
been deemed worthy of a special discussion by the Auto Cycle 
Club. Taken all round, the general consensus of opinion 
is that a good two-speed gear is a valuable adjunct on any 
touring bicycle, and a necessity on any passenger machine 


THE CHOICE OF A MOTOR-CYCLE 285 

in hilly parts of the country. Of course, very good work can 
be done on a single gear, and if one has a powerful mount 
it will not be often that the need of the extra power will be 
felt on hills ; but all of us know how difficult it is to tackle 
even moderately stiff hills in towns, or to comply with the law 
on such hills as Guildford High Street, or Holywell Hill, 
St. Albans, where the ten-mile limit is in force, and it is in 
circumstances like these that the two-speed scores. The 
objections urged against the general adaptation of the prin¬ 
ciple to all machines are primarily, the additional first cost, 
about on the average ; secondly, the extra weight ; and 
lastly, the increased complication and liability to derange¬ 
ment. The first is a weighty objection to many buyers ; 
but in my opinion the money is well spent. The second 
hardly counts, in view of the increased power available ; and 
the third, although very true at present, is a matter which 
time will speedily put right, as experience points out the 
weak spots in the various gears. 

At the present moment it is an invidious task to single out 
any particular pattern of gear, but if the rider does not object 
to a chain-drive both the Phelon and Moore and Anglian 
gears are proved contrivances, well out of the experimental 
stage. There are also the Phoenix Two-Speed Hub and 
several geared pulleys, the latter rather new comers, promising 
in theory, but not sufficiently well known to warrant any 
expression of opinion as to their capabilities. 

In addition to means of varying the gear by gearing, this 
can also be done by contracting and expanding the engine 
pulley; and although I myself have invented a pulley on this 
plan, giving a variety of gears, I am not in love with it as 
a variable gear while riding, as it necessitates the use of a 
jockey pulley ; but as a means of altering the gear for a time, 
a pulley with adjustable flanges is a great boon, and should 
eventually become part of standard equipment of all high-class 
machines. The frcc-cnginc clutch, without the addition of a 
two-speed gear, I look upon as a useless complication. One 
does not expect a powerful car to restart on a stiff hill on the 
top gear, neither can we expect a cycle engine to do it, and 


286 


THE AMATEUR MOTORIST 


these are the only circumstances under which I shall expect a 
free engine to be an advantage. 

The relative claims of magneto and battery ignition needs 
in my opinion but little discussion. Both are capable of 
giving equally good results as regards power and reliability, 
but as a saver of trouble the magneto is well worth the extra 
price charged for it. Not only does it relieve one of the 
trouble of keeping the accumulators charged and in good 
condition, but it entirely removes any chances of being 
stranded owing to the unexpected short circuit running the 
battery down. 

With regard to the cycle portion of the machine care should 
be taken to see that the frame is sufficiently low to enable 
the rider to sit comfortably on the saddle with his feet resting 
on the ground. If he is going in for a machine with two- 
speed gear, pedals may be dispensed with; but on a single¬ 
geared mount they are of decided advantage, and friends in 
need in a tight corner. Spring-forks I look upon as an 
absolute necessity. Owing to the growth of all kinds of 
traffic the roads are everywhere deteriorating, and to cycle 
in comfort in the near future one will have to use a machine 
sprung fore and aft. In any case where there is room for it, 
a good spring-seat pillar, used in combination with spring- 
forks, goes far to mitigate the evils of those atrocious surfaces 
to be found in many towns nowadays. 


CHAPTER XXIX 

HOW TO KEEP A MACHINE IN ORDER 


GOOD motor-bicycle in perfect condition is a constant 



source of enjoyment to its owner ; but if it be neglected, 
and the few necessary adjustments and repairs left undone, 
that same machine will develop into a nuisance of the first 
order. From the very perversity of things in general it is 
certain to choose the most inconvenient times and places to 
break down. In reality very little care is necessary to keep 
a good machine in order. The great thing is to anticipate 
breakdowns by detaching worn or weak parts and replacing 
them at home, at one’s leisure, instead of leaving them to 
fail at the most inopportune moment. My advice to all users 
of motor-cycles is never to tempt Providence. 

Do not venture far afield with tyres having weak places. 
If the engine pulley is worn, and the belt is in danger of 
“bottoming,” remember that the day is not far distant when 
it will slip on every slight incline. No amount of tightening 
will effect a permanent cure, and at last that belt will be 
destroyed through being run at too great a tension. To 
trust to an accumulator in an almost discharged condition is 
another certain means of getting “ hung up,” and lastly, to 
venture out with brakes destitute of stopping power is simply 
criminal folly. The wise rider takes care of all these points 
and many others, and so safeguards himself as far as possible 
against involuntary stops ; but there are some mishaps which 
none can guard against, and these have to be diagnosed and 
made good on the spot, if one wishes to be saved the ignominy 
of a return by train. 

Tyre repairs, as the most common failings, naturally come 
first; but as the process of repairing pneumatic tyres is now 


288 


THE AMATEUR MOTORIST 


so well known, little need be said on this subject beyond 
reminding readers that motor-cycle tyres require much more 
thoroughly repairing than those on ordinary push-cycles. 
The patches used must be larger, the surface of both patch 
and tube must be carefully cleaned with coarse sand-paper, 
the solution must be good and thickly applied, and lastly, 
the job must not be hurried. The solution should be 
quite set before the patch is applied. Properly done, I have 
found repairs without vulcanising quite satisfactory, but the 
process takes time, half an hour on a warm day and longer in 
cold weather, and for this reason butted air-tubes are coming 
into favour. From experience of those made on Rich’s patent 
plan I can answer for their efficiency. They hold air very 
well, and it is a great comfort to be able to remove a tube for 
repair without taking out the wheel. When a spare tube is 
carried, it can be readily exchanged and the punctured tube 
repaired at a convenient time. The extra cost of these tubes 
is only 2s. 6d. and old ones in good condition can be con¬ 
verted at a low price. This invention much lightens the 
labour of tyre repairs in the rear wheels of both bicycles and 
tricars. 

Repairs to outer covers can only be permanently effected 
by vulcanising, and even then they are rarely reliable. It is 
much cheaper in the end to discard old covers which have 
been seriously damaged. If one is left on until it bursts, a 
good air-tube may be ruined, a holiday spoilt, and perhaps 
a substantial railway fare incurred. Small deep cuts in 
covers can be repaired with “ Pneucure,” and, if it be carefully 
applied in accordance with the directions, this stopping is 
good for a thousand miles or more. It effectually prevents 
wet getting access to the canvas, and it is the damp which does 
the damage ; it rots the fabric and a burst follows. A cut in 
the cover made by the edge of the rim is beyond permanent 
repair. It can be temporarily patched up by a strip of 
canvas solutioned completely round both beads inside the 
cover, and this will take the rider home ; but this is about all 
it will do. 

Following tyres, the electrical equipment undoubtedly is 


HOW TO KEEP A MACHINE IN ORDER 289 

responsible for more trouble than any other portion of 
the mechanism, and much of this trouble is preventable. 
Electricity is a tricky power; even the most advanced 
scientists are ignorant as to what it really is. We know 
many of its effects, and some of the laws which govern it; 
but much more remains yet to be learnt. If this be the 
case with the learned specialists, the inexpert motor-cyclist 
may be excused his very superficial knowledge. According 
to the poet “ a little learning Is a dangerous thing,” but the 
motor-cyclist will find a very elementary acquaintance with 
electrical matters of much practical use. When he has 
mastered the fundamental laws governing the use of elec¬ 
tricity, he will have far less difficulty in overcoming the 
otherwise perplexing troubles connected with ignition. 

Take the case of the ordinary high-tension current, 
furnished by coil and accumulator to begin with, as this is 
the,most commonly used. I will ask. What is the most fre¬ 
quent cause of trouble? To this the answer is: Exhausted 
accumulators. Why ? Simply because riders take them on 
trust, and appear to think they will hold their charge in¬ 
definitely. Generally speaking, however, there is very 
little power left in an accumulator after standing a month, 
even when not in use. The current commences leaking away 
the moment charging finishes, slowly certainly, but surely, 
until after a time, although a cell may still show yg or 4 
on a voltmeter, there is but little useful energy left in it. 
The best way to judge a cycle accumulator is by the eye. 
The colour of the plates will be a good indication of the 
state they are in. The positive plates should be a rich 
dark chocolate, the negatives a lead colour. Any white 
deposit is simply sulphate of lead, which forms on the 
plates from neglect. It has the effect of reducing the 
capacity of the cell to a considerable extent. It can some¬ 
times be got rid of by long slow charging, repeated several 
times, the cells having been discharged through a resistance 
between each charging. 

The golden rule for keeping accumulators in order is to 
have them regularly charged, at least once a month. When 

19 


290 


THE AMATEUR MOTORIST 


it is possible, the charging should be done slowly. Half an 
ampere of current, put through what is called a twenty 
ampere-hour cell for twenty-four hours, will give a more lasting 
charge than a heavier current for a proportionately shorter 
time. The terminals of all cells should always be kept clean 
and coated with vaseline. If one gets corroded, and the 
nut cannot be unscrewed easily, do not risk twisting it off 
with the pliers; just warm it with a hot poker until the 
green corrosive matter is seen to melt. It will come off 
quite easily then. Do not touch the celluloid case with the 
hot poker, unless you wish to see how fiercely the stuff 
burns. 

If the case leaks, it can be readily repaired by soaking a 
bit of celluloid in acetone and applying it like a patch to 
a tyre. If at any time a piece of paste from the plates falls 
out and is likely to cause a short circuit by forming a 
bridge between two of them, lay the cell on its side so that 
the loose piece is uppermost, take a sharp penknife, cut a 
hole in the celluloid case just over the offending matter, 
and remove it with a pair of tweezers, then cement a piece 
of celluloid over the hole. This plan avoids the risk of 
raking about with wire through the vent holes and can be 
done very quickly—say in thirty minutes altogether. 

To calculate how far an accumulator should run, firstly 
reckon how long since it was charged, and deduct 15 per 
cent, per week for time loss only, then, with an economical 
coil, reckon it out at the rate of seven hundred miles from 
a twenty-ampere accumulator freshly charged for a single 
cylinder machine travelling at ordinary touring pace. The 
consumption of electricity depends on the time the machine 
is running and not on the distance run ; hence the slower 
one travels the more electricity is consumed over a given 
distance. A “ twin ” will of course take double the current. 

Supposing the accumulator is in good order, the other 
essential points to look after are, firstly, the wiring from 
battery to coil, contact-breaker, and switch. See that not 
a bit more wire than necessary is used. The less you have 
the less there is to keep in order, and the smaller the chance 


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HOW TO KEEP A MACHINE IN ORDER 291 

of a break either in the core or insulating covering. If you 
wish to avoid trouble, use only the best wire, avoiding any 
slipshod work in running it. Proper terminal eyes should 
be employed, carefully soldered with resin or fluxite to 
ensure good permanent electrical connections. To prevent 
possible short circuits, protect the insulating covering against 
fraying by binding with tape and waxed thread any places 
where it emerges through an opening in the tank or contact- 
breaker cover. 

Look with suspicion on all switches, they are a fruitful 
source of annoyance, often unsuspected. Personally, I have 
had so much trouble with them that I have reluctantly 
abandoned them altogether. By making the interrupter plug 
(Touche) with an insulating bottom, it can be used to cut 
off the current when the engine is not in use down long 
slopes by simply pulling it up a bit ; a pat of the hand 
immediately putting it into action again. Riders who have 
switches should avoid driving on them. This method of 
control invariably causes loud silencer reports, which are 
disconcerting to other traffic and bring the whole sport into 
disrepute. 

Coils, if of the plain variety, give little trouble, for there 
is nothing to wear out in them. The trembler coil facilitates 
.starting, and the buzz of the trembler at once shows if the 
ignition is in order. This type of coil entails the care of 
an extra pair of points which must be adjusted occasionally— 
and the make-and-break must be set to give a slightly 
longer contact. It is not quite so fast at high speeds, but 
fires the charge well when running slowly, and for this reason 
is more in favour with tourists than racing men. When it 
is necessary to adjust it, trim up the platinum points with 
a fine file, couple up to an accumulator, and, using one 
wire as a make-and-break, adjust the screw so that the 
trembler vibrates with the most momentary contact you can 
give. To prevent damage to the insulation, earth the high- 
tension terminal with a piece of wire. This precaution may 
also save the operator from unexpected shocks, with very 
probably involuntary exclamations appropriate to the occasion. 


292 


THE AMATEUR MOTORIST 


The make-and-break on the engine varies with different 
manufacturers, and it is the place where one first looks for 
trouble. The general fault is that the points get burnt up, 
or if a wipe be employed an imperfect and unreliable con¬ 
tact is made. Taking the latter style first, I may say that 
it has never been a favourite of mine, but it can be made 
to work well if the brass segment stands up well above the 
fibre disc. If worn, it should be repaired either by replacing 
entirely the wiper blade and disc as a permanent repair, or 
temporarily by cutting away the fibre to allow the brass to 
stand higher. 

With a positive make-and-break the platinum points should 
be filed quite flat and set with the machine running on a 
stand under power to give the minimum contact necessary 
to fire regularly at high speeds. It is false economy to try 
to trim points with a hammer and punch as is sometimes 
recommended. It is certain to distort them and very likely 
to upset the screw or perhaps crack the trembler blade. One 
prolific cause of trouble with any kind of make-and-break 
is dust. The covers fitted are too frequently shoddy affairs, 
neither oil nor dust-tight, and it only wants one particle of 
flint between the points to pull the engine up. With a good 
tight-fitting cover it is possible to run either a wipe or make- 
and-break in an oil-bath thereby much prolonging its life. 
Some riders dispense with a cover altogether ; but my ex¬ 
perience of these men is that they seldom do any distance 
without repeated ignition troubles. 

The most frequent actual breakdown in the make-and- 
break is the trembler blade ; so that a spare blade should 
always be carried. In an emergency a plain piece of clock 
spring can be used, or a strip of German silver or aluminium. 
To make these two latter hard and springy they should be 
well hammered before use. There is nothing so good as pure 
platinum for points, especially if it be faced with iridium, 
and if a machine burns these up the fault is with the con¬ 
denser of the coil or a faulty connection in the wiring. I 
have found it an advantage to wire up the coil from the 
battery on the earth circuit instead of via the make-and- 


HOW TO KEEP A MACHINE IN ORDER 293 

break ; this prevents the high-tension spark travelling across 
the points and helping to destroy them. 

Sparking-plugs are fickle friends. Often one lasts a 
tremendous time, and is followed by several with very short 
lives. A plug has more effect on pace than is generally 
supposed, and for this reason choose one with points pro¬ 
jecting well away from the base. A plug with a cracked 
porcelain will fire well with the throttle nearly closed, but 
miss badly as soon as one has to open out on a hill. By 
remembering this much useless examination and testing of 
other parts may be avoided. It does not pay to repair 
plugs, nor does it pay to buy the cheap and nasty kind when a 
good one like the “ ¥.. I. C.” will frequently last several years. 
One point to remember before putting a plug into the valise 
as a spare, is to make sure that the thread is not too full to 
screw home easily in the cylinder. Unfortunately this is a 
common fault even with the best plugs, and the result of 
screwing home with a big spanner a tight plug in a hot 
cylinder is that it will be very difficult to get out and may 
entail a visit to an engineering shop. If a tight plug has 
to be used, pack it up with copper washers so that it only 
enters about three or four threads. To remove a tight plug, 
apply plenty of paraffin round the base, and if possible round 
the thread inside the cylinder, through one of the valve 
pockets. Run the engine to warm it up, or, if this is no 
longer possible, apply the flame of a blow-pipe, or even 
burning waste and paraffin, to the cylinder. Get a firm grip 
with a good spanner and pull steadily. If it does not move, 
try a few smart pats with a light hammer and chisel, and 
again pull. If the top twists off, get a good workman to 
drill the plug out with a pin-drill and clean out the thread 
with a tap. With care in the selection of plugs, this should 
never happen, but, to my knowledge, much trouble and not 
a few cracked cylinders have been caused by tight plugs. 

With regard to the modern form of high-tension ignition 
by magneto, little need be said. My experience of it has 
been such that I have had no opportunity of displaying my 
skill in effecting repairs. I have worn out the transmission 


294 


THE AMATEUR MOTORIST 


gear by fair wear-and-tear, and after long use have had to 
replace a fibre cam. Barring accidents, all that the average 
rider will have to do to his magneto is occasionally to clean 
the carbon brushes and take care that the points are set so 
that they give a minimum brake, and, when touching, are 
trimmed so as to give a big flat surface of contact. If they 
start burning up it is the result of a bad contact, and may be 
that the brass cover does not fit tight enough, or that the 
carbon is not clean and wants nicely scraping. 

The magnets are supposed to last three years without 
requiring remagnetising. In many cases they will last longer, 
but the rider must never remove the armature of his magneto 
without at once replacing it with an iron core of the same 
size. The foreman at the Simms’ works is most impressive 
on this point ; he says it is only a question of seconds to 
reduce the magnetism seriously. Although I cannot corro¬ 
borate or disprove this statement, it is as well to be on the 
safe side by following the advice of those who should know. 

I need not remind readers that a magneto, like any other 
rapidly revolving machinery, requires properly oiling, and 
the reservoir should be filled every three hundred miles, 
and the wicks occasionally removed and washed in petrol 
to clean them. 

When using magneto ignition the points of the sparking- 
plug must be set very close, say just sufificiently far apart to 
admit a thin visiting-card. If set open, the machine will 
start badly. When running at a normal speed the spark 
given by a magneto is- both hot and large, and consequently 
destructive to plugs unless they are made with heavy points. 
For this reason the owner of a machine fired by magneto 
should take care to use only plugs made especially for this 
style of ignition. 

The carburettor, if properly set by the makers, should not 
often give trouble. Occasionally, of course, the jet will get 
choked by a particle of grit, or water will get mixed with 
the petrol. Either of these will either stop the engine or 
cause erratic running. When cleaning the jet care must be 
exercised not to enlarge it. Should this be done by accident, 


HOW TO KEEP A MACHINE IN ORDER 295 

the hole can be closed by a few gentle taps of a very light 
hammer. If the closing process is overdone—and it is very 
difficult to avoid this—correct it with a needle of the requisite 
thickness. 

Petrol and oil pipes occasionally break from vibration, 
or come adrift from their unions. If this happens on a 
journey a temporary repair can be effected with an india- 
rubber tube, and if necessary that on the acetylene lamp can 
be pressed into service. Seccotine, a kind of fish glue, is 
proof against petrol, and a repair effected with tape well 
soaked with this material will last quite a long time. The 
rider should not omit to have any failings in any of the 
petrol connections repaired in a permanent manner at the 
earliest opportunity. Neglect may result in a total loss of 
the machine by fire. 

The mechanical parts of the engine seldom give trouble, 
and when they do it is in many cases a workshop job. 
Excluding the valves, the most common source of badly 
damaged engines has been the grub screws employed to 
secure the gudgeon pin in the piston. Once these get a 
trifle slack, nothing will prevent their working out and 
falling into the crank-case. 

If they miss getting pinched between the piston and crank¬ 
case, they soon make their unwelcome presence known in 
some other equally disastrous direction, and for this reason 
I strongly recommend every rider to dispense with them. 
There are other ways of fixing the gudgeon pin without 
risk in a perfectly secure manner. For instance, a longitu¬ 
dinal key at one end holds it well. It can be made a good 
fit and driven in, with a couple of brass plugs to prevent 
it working out and scoring the cylinder, or an extra piston 
ring to cover the ends will answer the same purpose. 

The piston rings should last at least ten thousand miles 
when the top one will be found slack sideways in the groove 
and should be replaced by a new one, a trifle wider. If a 
lathe is handy, just face the groove out to remove any ridges; 
failing this, rub down the new ring on a sheet of emery 
cloth until it just enters the groove easily but without play. 


296 


THE AMATEUR MOTORIST 


Piston rings can be taken out or replaced by working four 
or five bits of tin under them from the slots. Being cast 
iron, any unskilful handling will snap them like glass. New 
rings seldom give good compression at first. They want 
running in, and the rider must be liberal with the oil for a 
little time afterwards. The advice as to placing the slots 
at an angle of 120°, while correct in theory, is not much use 
in practice, as the rings, not being pinned, are constantly 
turning round in the grooves. 

The valves are two working parts of the engine which 
must be kept in order. Any leakage is fatal to efficiency. 
The amount of compression is a good guide as to the state 
of the valves: even if this remain good they should 
be taken out about every thousand miles, their stems 
cleaned, and before replacing ground into their seats with 
220 emery. There is no occasion to overdo the grinding-in 
process: all that is required is to make them gastight, and 
once they touch all round this is enough. After long use 
the stem of the exhaust valve may require a bit brazing 
on to it, while the inlet valve will want a new cotter if it 
opens too much. The rider should always carry a spare 
valve to fit both exhaust and inlet, and they should have 
been cut to length and tested for fit at home. It is not 
often that valves fail unless the rider is a hard driver or 
the material is at fault, but without a spare valve the rider 
is completely disabled in case of failure. A pair of valve 
springs is also an essential part of the kit. That intended 
for the exhaust valve should err on the side of stiffness, 
and the inlet valve springs should be as near the correct 
tension as possible. For an automatic inlet valve of ij-in. 
diameter a spring opening at 16 oz., rising to 24 oz. when 
fully open, with J in. lift will be about right. When a twin 
cyclinder machine is used the rider must take care that both 
inlet valve springs are of equal tension, if he wants both 
cylinders to do their best. This is easily ascertained by 
pressing them together and noticing which valve leaves its 
seat first. When a spring is too strong, a coil or two can 
be cut off, until the correct tension is obtained. Although an 


HOW TO KEEP A MACHINE IN ORDER 297 

apparently unimportant little fitting, a correctly proportioned 
inlet valve spring is essential when automatic valves are used. 
Let the rider test for himself the difference a few ounces in 
the tension of the spring will make. He will learn much. 

The timing of an engine, by which is meant the point 
in each revolution when the valves open and shut and the 
charge is fired, is a subject which must be understood to 
comprehend the working of an engine on the Otto Cycle. 
As this principle is now well known I need only give a few 
hints as to assembling an engine which has been taken down 
for cleaning or repairs. As a rule the two-to-one gears are 
marked to show the position in which to reassemble the parts. 
Failing these marks, or in ca.ses where they are indistinct, 
set the gear wheel driving the exhaust cam so that this 
valve opens at about seven-eighths of the firing stroke, and 
closes just as the piston reaches the top of the exhaust 
stroke. If the inlet valve is a mechanical one, set this to 
open at the commencement of the suction stroke and to 
close at the top, or just after. For high speeds late opening 
and late closing are an advantage in inlet valves of the 
mechanical variety. The firing cam must be set to fire 
exactly at the top of the stroke when the lever for advancing 
and retarding the ignition is about one third advanced. When 
setting a firing cam, remember that a plain coil fires on the 
break and a trembler at the commencement of the make. 
If the firing is set too far advanced, it not only renders 
starting uncertain, but makes riding at a slow pace difficult. 

In concluding this chapter on the care of a motor-bicycle, 
let me urge upon my readers not to entrust a valuable 
machine to the tender mercies of the first individual styling 
himself a motor repairer whose shop is encountered. Un¬ 
fortunately, only a few of these men are workmen, and the 
good ones are few and far between. Rather rely upon 
yourself for minor repairs, and when something beyond your 
capacity turns up, send the machine to a man with a properly 
equipped workshop. The bungler with a few tools, all more 
or less blunt and partly worn out, will do more damage in 
a few minutes than he is capable of repairing in a month. 


CHAPTER XXX 


ON THE ROAD 


UR good old friend the push-bicycle did much to 



annihilate distance ; but to get the most out of it one 
had to be in condition, and adverse circumstances, such as a 
head wind or heavy roads, greatly marred enjoyment. With 
the motor-cycle these are merely incidents in the day’s run. 
A trifle more throttle, and the sturdy little engine, rising to 
the occasion, drives its proud possessor over hill and dale, 
unrolling the scenery to his gaze. The long hills, which used 
to be such betes noires when the rider was a bit fagged, are 
hardly noticed. The machine takes them in its stride, and 
when a veritable mountain is struck, such as Westerham or 
Birdlip, it is simply a test of the driver’s skill and the 
condition of his mount. Properly tuned up, a good 3j-h.p. 
single-cylinder or 5-h.p. twin will devour these ascents at a 
pace that would take a 6o-h.p. car all its work to equal. 

On the flat the cycle cannot live with the car ; but up 
steep hills only the highest-powered racing-cars can approach 
bicycle speed. The reason why the bicycle makes such a 
poor show on the level is not that it is in itself so much 
inferior in point of speed, but is due to the inability of the 
rider to retain control of the machine at high speeds over 
anything but the best surfaces. The heavy, well-sprung car 
bounds over the rough places with but little discomfort to 
those on board, whereas the motor-cyclist finds his front 
wheel leaving the road, and has to moderate his pace, but 
at the end of the day’s run his average will not be indifferent. 

Many a day on long runs have I kept in company with 
good cars, passing them on rises, to be repassed in turn 


298 


ON THE ROAD 299 

down long slopes, and often to finish up at the same hotel 
in the evening. 

To those whose leisure is limited, the motor-cycle opens 
up a field quite unattainable to pedal-propelled cyclists. 
None but a trained athlete would care for a ride of a hundred 
miles or more on a pedal cycle after tea, yet this is a distance 
that a young motor-cyclist I know repeatedly performs when 
his week’s work is done on a Friday night. This man uses his 
machine as an aid to business, and finds in sparsely populated 
districts he can cover three times as much ground as he 
could by train. As the pioneer motor-cyclist in my own 
district, I have made many converts, among whom I count 
a baker, who daily puffs round on an old Minerva, with a 
massive basket laden with loaves for customers too far off 
to be reached by cart. Another discarded mount of mine 
carries a plumber and his weighty tackle many miles a week. 
These instances show that there is practical service as well 
as enjoyment to be got from the motor-cycle. If the rider 
be fond of sport it is a rare aid. Only the favoured few 
have shooting and fishing at their own doors. Even when 
living in the country the scene of sport is often a considerable 
distance. In winter, Saturday afternoons are short, and 
every minute is of consequence ; but if my gun and cartridges 
are laid out ready, the motor-bicycle takes me to my 
destination with little delay. It is the same in the angler’s 
case. I have had many an evening hour on a stream seven¬ 
teen miles off, which I should otherwise have missed. When 
I can spare a day I often go as far as fifty miles away. 
Many of these runs could not be done by train in the time, 
the lack of proper connections on cross-country routes would 
forbid them< 

In addition to comparatively short-distance work, a motor¬ 
cyclist can transport himself and his luggage over large 
tracts of country. Land’s End is an easy two-days’ run from 
London, and a week will land one in John o’ Groats, with 
ample opportunity to inspect the objects of interest en route. 
If an affiliated member of the Auto Cycle Club, a permit can 
be got for asking, passing one free through foreign Customs, 


300 


THE AMATEUR MOTORIST 


when France, Germany, and Austria are open for exploration. 
Even a short holiday will suffice for a trip across France to 
the Pyrenees with a return home by sea from Bordeaux. 

Spain at present offers opportunities to those with powerful 
mounts and an adventurous spirit. The country, so far, 
is little known to motor-cyclists, and the roads are indifferent 
and hilly, but there is much fun in venturing the unknown. 
For travelling off the beaten track in uncivilised Europe, 
a machine with a magneto is to be preferred ; and, although 
such a thing is seldom wanted, the rider might feel more 
comfortable if he added some kind of defensive weapon to 
his tool kit. The sight even of a pipe-case shaped* like a 
pistol has a powerful deterrent effect upon those with evil 
intent; and, undoubtedly, it is true that there still exists in 
remote districts a number of lawless individuals to whom 
plunder is a daily occupation. 

When on tour I recommend the rider to carry, in addition 
to his regular riding-suit, two extra pairs of hose, a thin 
dark-coloured flannel suit, an extra cap, a pair of light shoes, 
a Jaegar shirt, a good supply of collars and handkerchiefs, 
a waterproof coat, and a thin pair of waterproof overalls. 
This kit can be got into a Japanese rush basket, covered 
by a piece of American cloth and strapped upon the luggage 
carrier. The total weight will be under twenty pounds, 
and the rider will have the advantage of a complete change 
in the evening. I always find it refreshing to get out of 
dusty, travel-stained attire, and appear like a respectable 
citizen when a day’s journey is done. 

At times most riders will feel the want of ability to 
share the fun of their trips with a companion, and the 
problem arises as to the best method of taking a passenger 
with a motor-bicycle. Of course, there is the choice of 
buying a special machine for this purpose at the start ; but 
I am sorry to say that at present the tricar has not been such 
a success as one would wish. Sooner than invest in one 
of these heavy pattern machines I would make the plunge 
and buy a car straight away. From what I have seen it 
would be cheaper in the end and afford more comfort. 



A Club run in Olden Times. 












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ON THE ROAD 


301 


Personally I think the heavy tricars cannot properly be 
classed as motor-cycles at all. They are in reality three- 
wheeled motor-cars, entailing all the expenses of a car 
without its comforts and reliability. What the motor-cyclist 
requires is a handy means of readily attaching a passenger¬ 
carrying apparatus to his machine with the least trouble 
and without permanently interfering with the use of the 
bicycle in its legitimate sphere. 

Undoubtedly the simplest of all passenger attachments 
is the trailer. It is the easiest attached and requires the 
least power to propel ; but it is not altogether as safe for 
the passenger as one would wish. In a tight corner the 
man on the bicycle is apt to forget all about the trailer—with 
disastrous consequences to the occupant. In spite of this 
it is a most handy little carriage to own. It can be attached 
in a couple of minutes, and often comes in useful in emer¬ 
gencies. The drawback which prevents many cyclists 
owning one is the extra licence demanded by the Excise. 
One can keep a forecar, a side-car, or a trailer for use with a 
push-cycle free; but once attach the latter to a motor-cycle 
without a licence, and the course is clear for the tax-gatherer. 

The forecar converts a powerful motor-bicycle into an 
efficient tricar, and one more u.seful, to my way' of thinking, 
than a heavy tricar. Being of lighter construction, the upkeep 
is far lower, and one retains the simplicity of the motor¬ 
bicycle with plain belt-driving. I have had a lot of experi¬ 
ence with this type of machine, and I have found it about 
the cheapest means of travelling yet discovered. Both the 
up-keep and fuel for the .passengers arc only a trifle 
above that entailed with a single machine. Carefully driven 
it is perfectly safe up to twenty-five miles an hour, but at 
higher speed than this much depends upon the driver’s skill. 
In some 15,000 miles I have never yet been overturned. 
Once or twice I have been near it, with the speed indicator 
in the region of 355 but had I been driving a car under the 
same circumstances, the effect would probably have been the 
same, if not worse. 

Although I do not use studded tyres, I have found the 


302 


THE AMATEUR MOTORIST 


type singularly free from side-slip, and when a slip has taken 
place it has been trivial in its effects. The worst slip I ever 
had was in the dust, when I went off the road and burst 
a tyre. It was entirely my own fault, and as I only had 
one hand on the bar at the time I was lucky in avoiding an 
upset. Eleven spokes had to be replaced when I got home, 
showing how severe the strain had been. 

The spokes of the steering-wheels in forecars should be 
actually stouter than those of the driving-wheel. In my 
machine I have thirteen gauge wires, and the driver has 
never been touched ; but I have rebuilt the steerers twice. 
It is always the spokes on the inside flange which snap, or 
in some instances actually pull the washers through the 
rims. Fortunately these wheels do not appear prone to 
collapse suddenly. They run for several thousand miles, 
when the metal gets tired, and spoke after spoke fails, telling 
one it is time to effect a renewal. 

In choosing a forecar insist on one with the passenger 
seat low down. Six inches clearance under the bottom is 
enough to clear any road obstacles, and the lower this seat 
the greater the stability, and the better view the driver will 
have. It is very annoying to have to crane one’s neck to 
see round the passenger’s head. I much prefer a large, 
roomy basket to a “coach-built body.” It is cheaper, lighter, 
and more comfortable to sit in. In the event of an accident 
the basket is seldom damaged, but the wood in a coach-built 
affair takes a very small concussion to splinter it. 

If ordering a basket-seat, get a good plain wicker one—the 
variety known as “ Art Cane ” is a tawdry affair, vulgar in 
conception, and destitute of durability. The disadvantages 
of the forecar are its weight, the shielding of the engine from 
air currents, and the time it takes to attach. The two former 
can be overcome by the use of a good powerful engine not 
given to overheating, which is another name for overloading. 
The latter is so serious that I would never recommend any 
rider who contemplated making frequent changes to invest 
in a forecar. 

For the rider who indulges but occasionally in passenger 


ON THE ROAD 


303 


work the side-car offers many advantages. Although far 
from a theoretically correct mechanical appliance, it is one 
of those things which work well in practice. It is very 
sociable and tolerably safe. It takes a little practice to 
master the steering, especially with a rigid pattern, but the 
rider soon gets used to this, and the advantage of its easy 
attachment and detachment is great. It also affords no 
inducement for a visit from the tax-gatherer. It undoubtedly 
has a future in the history of the motor-cycle, although I 
myself have never been enamoured of it. 

In concluding these words of advice to the users of the 
most economical form of automobile yet devised, I would 
advise all riders on tour to remember it pays to go slowly 
round corners, to treat strange hills with respect, and, 
whether touring or embarking on a trial of skill in a reliability 
contest, not to take out untried acces.sories. Put not your 
trust in a new machine, new belt, or even a new tyre, until 
you have tested it. 


CHAPTER XXXI 


A Word about the Motor^boat 

BY MAWDSLEY BROOKE 

I BELIEVE it was in the year 1892, when sailing upon 
Oulton Broad, I saw a boat of about 16 ft. in length, 
with a box in the centre of it, coming towards me at quite a 
respectable speed. 

There was no smoke, and practically no noise, and my 
engineering instincts were at once awakened to investigate 
this boat, fitted with what I assumed to be a benzoline engine 
such as I had read of. 

This boat, now known as “The Old Tub,” and still running 
well, I discovered to belong to Mr. Estcourt; and mutual 
interests led us to become fast friends. 

It was, I found, fitted with (as I assumed) a benzoline 
engine—this proving to be the first engine sent over to this 
country by Herr Gotleib Daimler. 

Being an enthusiast concerning all things which float, I 
at once was able to see the possibilities of this type of boat 
and the developments that were possible ; and from that day 
the study of the petrol engine has been one of my keenest 
interests. 

My first personal experiment with an internal combustion 
engine was at the instigation of Mr. Estcourt, who had the 
ingenious idea that we could utilise the exhaust, and that we 
could, moreover, employ the heat thus generated in cooling 
the engine. This we actually did in 1899, and the resulting 
machine, I believe, represented the birth of the three-cylinder 
international combustion engine. 

We had two outside cylinders working on petrol, and in 

304 




A Brooke Motor-boat on Oulton Broad. 


V 





Photo by permission of J. IP. Brooke S’ Co., Ltd. 

“ Baby II.” doing 14 Knots. 


ITP' 











V 



A WORD ABOUT THE MOTOR-BOAT 305 

^ the middle cylinder we utilised the exhaust and the steam 
generated from the outside cylinder. 

Although the motor ran, it was very short-lived, and an 
ordinary three-cylinder engine was built up instead and 
installed in a large house-boat possessed by Mr. Estcourt, 
in which house-boat this particular engine is still running, 
and running satisfactorily ; and I believe I am right in saying 
that the moto^has never been taken out of the boat. 

After this matters began to stumble along much more 
rapidly. Mr. Harmsworth (now Lord Northcliffe) offered the 
Harmswortli Cup for motor-boats, to be raced for in Cork 
Harbour in the same year that the Gordon-Bennett Race 
was run in Ireland. For this cup 1 essayed to build a motor. 
The motor was built and installed in a boat, but we were too 
late with it to enter it; and had we done so, I am convinced 
that we should have made no glorious display. 

It is rather interesting to note that this engine, built 
in 1902, was a six-cylinder engine of 30 h.p. with synchronised 
ignition, and an engine, although totally different in design 
from our present six-cylinder engine, of precisely the same 
dimensions, having a bore of 3| in. and a stroke of 4I in. 

Following this I built Baby /., which was my first 
serious attempt at a racing boat, and this was in 1904. 

The same year the Automobile Club held their first 
Twenty Hours Reliability Trials at Southampton, in which I 
took part with this boat, and in the same summer the 
Godfrey Barine Cup was won by one of our boats at Cowes ; 
but previous to this, there had been the Monaco Races, which 
were becoming quite a feature of the marine-motor world. 
In the spring of 1905 I built Baby II. for these races, a 
boat 30 feet long, 6 feet beam, and equipped with one of our 
45-h.p. motors, and I think, perhaps, this boat has been 
one of the most consistently successful racing boats ever 
built. 

I returned from Monaco feeling more or less a wealthy 
man, with my winnings, and since that time this boat. 
Baby II.y has been awarded the British Motor-Boat Clubs 
Gold Medal, has won the A. J. Wilson Challenge Cup, the 

20 


THE AMATEUR MOTORIST 


^506 

Miall Green Cup, and two cups offered by the British Motor- 
Boat Club, and these as well as a very large number of 
“ Firsts ” secured in regattas round the coast. 

In 1905, not contented with Baby II.y I built, in con¬ 
junction with Captain Corbet, a twelve-metre boat for the 
International Cup, to wit, Brooke /., which boat I firmly 
believe was the fastest motor-boat ever built, but one in 
which we had considerable trouble with carburation. These 
troubles have now been overcome, and I am hoping to use 
the engine again next year. 

The engine was, I think, the largest petrol engine that 
had ever been built, being rated at over 400 h.p., and having 
six cylinders 10 bore by 8 stroke, and arranged to run at 
1,000 r.p.m. 

This boat was timed to run twenty-seven knots, and was 
chosen as one of the representatives of Great Britain for 
the International Cup, and was sent over to Arcachon ; in 
which race she participated, but owing again to carburation 
troubles did not succeed in coming in first. 

During the whole of this period, from 1903 onwards, 
my firm had, in addition to building these one or two racing 
boats, been giving their very serious attention to completing 
a series of motors for ordinary commercial and pleasure pur¬ 
poses, and had been benefiting by the experience gained with 
these racing machines. 

This heavy demand for these motors points to the con¬ 
tinual growth of the motor-boat as an instrument of pleasure 
and of business. Bearing in mind the fact that in Sydney 
Harbour alone there are over six hundred motor-boats, that 
for the last two years motor-cruiser races have been held 
from London to Cowes in this country, and to Bermuda 
in America, that almost every yacht now built is equipped 
with a motor-tender, that the Government is using motor- 
boats for diplomatic purposes in our Colonies, that our 
lifeboats are being fitted with motors—then, I say, one can 
realise the enormous possibilities of the industry. 

There are, of course, many types of marine motors b^g 
built, and many more types being put to the test; but there 


A WORD ABOUT THE MOTOR-BOAT 307 


is no doubt whatever that the Americans are far ahead of us 
with the two-stroke motor, a very large number of which is 
now being built. The English motor is, for the most part, 
one of the four-cycle type ; in fact, I do not know of any two- 
cycle English motors on the market. Tangyes at one time 
built a motor of this type, and a very good motor it was, I 
believe, but I understand they have since abandoned it. 

The paraffin engine is the engine that must be used for 
commercial purposes entirely, owing chiefly to the cost of 
petrol ; but the combined petrol-paraffin engine is, in my 
opinion, wrong altogether in principle. A paraffin engine 
must essentially be designed for paraffin work, and must be 
of a totally different form of engine from that used for petrol. 
Usually a paraffin engine is quite unsuitable to a motor-boat 
intended for private purposes. 

Let me conclude by recommending this splendid sport to 
all amateurs. A motor-boat is not costly, it is cheap to run, 
and there are excitements in the pastime surpassing any I 
know afloat. 


CHAPTER XXXII 
THE MOTOR CLUBS 


1 HAVE had cause frequently to refer, in the course of this 
volume, to the Royal Automobile Club of Great Britain 
and Ireland. Started originally as a social club, this great in¬ 
stitution has, with the Motor Union, become the very “jockey 
club” of the movement. Not only is its authority widely 
recognised, but its quasi-democratic nature justifies the 
position it has taken in the motoring industry. This great 
club defends our interests everywhere; it makes it its 
business to help the tourist, both at home and abroad ; it 
is the tribunal by which the leading manufacturers will be 
judged ; it is the great cosmopolitan rendezvous whither 
repair all those who are seeking either counsel or society. 

At the time of writing all the talk is of the club deserting 
the famous rooms in Piccadilly, and of moving to more 
commodious premises in Whitehall. This the friends of the 
Royal Automobile Club hope will come to pass. The present 
club-house is quite inadequate to the enormous demands 
made upon the staff. There should be in London one great 
building in which all motoring parliaments can meet. This 
the Royal Automobile Club will presently give us, and add a 
new title to the Royal favour so generously bestowed upon it. 

Akin to this great club, and in a measure alive with it, 
is the famous Motor Union. There is probably no harder 
worker in London than Mr. Rees Jeffreys, who is responsible 
for this splendid organisation. Speaking of its objects, he 
writes me the following notes: 

The Motor Union of Great Britain and Ireland 
The Motor Union is the largest organisation of users of 
motor-cars in the world, and includes in its membership 
upwards of one hundred clubs, in addition to a large number 
of individual members. Its aggregate membership is upwards 
of 18,000. Its growth is shown by the following figures : 

308 


Number of Clubs. Number of Members, 




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310 


THE AMATEUR MOTORIST 


Inaugurated in 1901, the Motor Union exists to advance 
the automobile movement in the United Kingdom, to protect 
and extend the rights and privileges of automobilists, and to 
encourage and facilitate touring by means of mechanically 
propelled vehicles. The advantages of membership of the 
Union include legal information and advice free of charge; 
financial support in legal proceedings and in appeals to 
Quarter Sessions against convictions ; the services of com¬ 
petent solicitors; information as to routes at home and 
abroad, and as to Customs formalities; the services of the 
Royal Automobile Club engineer at moderate charges; the 
right to. carry the badge of the Union, whereby a member 
charged with a motor-car offence may have half his legal 
expenses refunded ; and the right to be consulted on general 
questions affecting the rights and privileges of automobilists. 
It has also its own insurance company, whereby members 
have special facilities for insuring their cars. 

Apart from these personal advantages, the Motor Union is 
the recognised authority for safeguarding the legislative 
rights and privileges of motorists. It opposes public and 
private Bills introduced into Parliament, and local by-laws 
embodying proposals restrictive to automobilism. It laid 
the case for automobilism before the Royal Commission on 
Motor-cars, when many of its recommendations were accepted 
by the Commissioners, and it is hoped, as a result, that the 
benefit will be felt when the new legislation comes into force. 
The Union negotiates with local authorities for the improve¬ 
ment of the roads and the removal of dangerous corners. 
It also protects its members from the imposition of illegal 
bridge tolls, as in the case of the Langstone Bridge, Havant, 
where the matter was carried by the Union into Court, with 
the result that a 50 per cent, reduction was obtained. 

The legal department of the Union is one of the most 
appreciated by the membership. It has fought all the 
principal test cases. The first important principle established 
was in an appeal, under section i of the Motor-Car Act, 
which it carried into the Divisional Court, when (Rex v. 
Wells) the decision was obtained that the grouping of 


THE MOTOR CLUBS 


311 

'Summonses under section i of the Act, that is, charging a 
motorist, for instance, with driving at a speed dangerous to the 
public, and also of driving in a manner dangerous to the 
public, is bad in law. A motorist, therefore, can only be 
charged with and convicted of one offence on one summons 
under this section. The Union obtained the decision in the 
Appeal Court that it is not unlawful for a member of the 
public to notify motorists of the existence of police traps. 
More recently it obtained the decision that a supply of water 
for doctors’ cars does not come within the definition of a 
supply for business purposes, and that, therefore, they are 
not liable to be charged a special water rate, a decision which 
has been followed with beneficial pecuniary results to medical 
men using cars all over the country. Another decision 
obtained about the same time is that a motorist who has been 
convicted for exceeding the speed limit in the royal parks 
cannot have his licence endorsed for a first or second offence, 
and as a result of these endorsements being pronounced 
illegal, some hundreds of motorists have had previously 
existing ones removed from their licences. There is an 
average daily application for advice of six members. 

In addition, the Union, through its Highways Protection 
Committee, has during the past year or so secured the 
conviction of seventeen people for offences committed on the 
highway—six for assault, nine for obstruction, and two for 
stone-throwing. P'urther to protect the considerate motorist 
on the road, the Union is now organising a system of road 
agents in various parts of the country to act with the police 
in warning drivers of dangerous places, and advising motorists 
when driving through villages and towns where special caution 
is necessary. This action has been rendered necessary in order 
to try to check the increasing demands for five- and ten-mile 
speed limits which are being made by the local authorities. 
Since the Act of 1903 came into force there have been twenty- 
five local inquiries held in England and Wales, at each of 
which the Union has been represented. The results have 
been that out of thirteen applications no speed limit was 
granted, one application was withdrawn, while the remainder 


312 


THE AMATEUR MOTORIST 


have been acceded to only in regard to certain roads and 
certain lengths of roads. 

The Union has also taken an active part in the efforts to 
do away with the dust evil. At its instigation a series of 
tests and competitions were held in the spring of 1907 on 
some of the Middlesex roads, the Roads Improvements 
Association carrying out the arrangements and the Royal 
Automobile Club and the Union making up the expense 
between them. Handsome prizes were offered for the best 
tar-spraying machine and for the best preparation of tar for 
road purposes. The tests show the attention that is being 
paid to the subject by road engineers and local road 
authorities, many of whom sent representatives to witness 
and report on the trials. 

The annual subscription is one guinea only, and life 
members can be elected for a subscription of ten guineas. 
The Secretary is Mr. Rees Jeffreys, and the offices are at 
I, Albemarle Street, Piccadilly, London, W. 

****** 

Differing entirely in its purposes from the Motor Union, 
the recent years have given us that most admirable organisa¬ 
tion, the Automobile Association. It is impossible to praise 
too highly the work that has been done by the Committee, 
and its indefatigable Secretary, Mr. Stenson Cooke. Possibly 
motorists would have been driven from the southern roads 
altogether had it not been for the Association s scouts. 

For a subscription of two guineas the careful driver is now 
protected everywhere, while his subscription insures that the 
inconsiderate driver shall be watched no less diligently. This 
is the day when motorists are beginning to realise that they 
must drive the “road-hog” from their midst or seriously 
cripple, if not destroy, this delightful pastime. The Auto¬ 
mobile Association is enabling us to do so. Its story, briefly 
set out by Mr. Stenson Cooke, cannot fail to be interesting 
both to members and others. 


THE MOTOR CLUBS 


313 


The Evolution of the Automobile Association 

The story of the Automobile Association might well be 
headed “ Two Years Ago ” if Charles Kingsley had not 
already appropriated the title. 

In view of its extraordinary development and rapid success, 
it seems almost incredible that it was not until September ist, 
1905, that the Secretary commenced work in a tiny office in 
Fleet Street. The number of members was then only ninety, 
and the bank balance fell short of three figures. At the time 
the prospects did not look particularly brilliant, but the 
enthusiasm of the workers has changed the whole outlook in 
the most extraordinary fashion. On September ist, 1907, 
the membership of the Automobile Association was well over 
four thousand, and its reserve fund exceeded that substantial 
number of pounds sterling. 

Two years ago the Secretary managed all the details of 
the organisation single-handed during the week, while on 
Saturdays and Sundays he was out on first one car and then 
another inspecting the roads and the small Cyclist Patrol 
Corps, which was then, and still is, in fact, the leading feature 
of the Automobile Association, drilling the men and keeping 
them up to their duties. Now the road department numbers 
over one hundred and fifty employees, and more than ;^8,ooo 
a year is being paid in wages alone. In addition, local agents 
have been established on all the main roads of England, 
Scotland, and Wales, and so much ground has been covered 
in this way that to visit each agent personally would involve 
a motor-car tour of over twelve thousand miles. 

Now the offices of the Automobile Association have been 
changed from the one small room in Fleet Street to splendid 
premises in the West End, in Prince’s Buildings, Coventry 
Street, W., and here, in place of the single-handed Secretary, 
there is a large and well-organised staff, which finds plenty 
of work to do in the day. Letters at the rate of five hundred 
a week have to be dealt with, to say nothing of telegrams 
and telephones going all day long ; and there is, in addition, 
a constant stream of callers, who range in social position from 


3 H 


THE AMATEUR MOTORIST 


the best-known members of the peerage down to the humble, 
but necessary mechanic. 

Two years ago the Committee waxed enthusiastic over the 
election of fourteen new members at one of the fortnightly 
meetings. At the last half-dozen meetings of the Committee, 
however, over two hundred new members have been elected 
at each sitting. 

All this has come about in the short space of two years; 
and out of a small inception a vast organisation has evolved 
itself. And why ? Because the Automobile Association was 
called into existence by a genuine public need, and because it 
has fulfilled functions which no one else was dealing with. 

One of the great features of the Automobile Association 
is that it gets things done. It was founded by a small body 
of enthusiastic sportsmen working without remuneration, 
solely in the interests of sport, and their enthusiasm has 
increased rather than waned. 

The Chairman, Col. W. J. Bosworth, and the Committee— 
which contains such well-known names as Sir Archibald 
MacDonald, Capt. J. Bennett-Stanford, Lieut.-Col. Mark 
Mayhew, Earl Russell, Messrs. S. F. Edge, Charles Jarrott, 
D’Arcy Baker, C. W. Brown, C. Cordingley, Harvey Du Cros, 
junr., Walter Gibbond, Alfred Harris, H. S. A. Smith, Charles 
Temperley—all have justified the reputation of being strong 
and enthusiastic workers without any thought of personal 
gain—men who are alive to every possibility, and grasp and 
exploit every opportunity for development, regardless of 
ritual and red tape. 

The policy of the Automobile Association is to make 
motoring pleasant and motorists popular, to protect motorists 
in the exercise of their right to the reasonable use of the 
highways, and, at the same time, to protect users of the road 
against unfair driving. The Automobile Association cyclists 
patrol the roads, and it has been well said that “ every time 
a scout holds up his hand you save your subscription.” The 
Association agents, too, are always watching the roads, and 
advise motorists of dangerous spots ; and, in addition, they 
will repair the cars of members on special terms, secure hotel 


THE MOTOR CLUBS 


315 


accommodation for them, and receive letters and telegrams. 
Furthermore, the Association has placed signs outside small 
towns and villages to inform all motorists where they are and 
to advise them of danger, and also has put guides upon the 
road to conduct members through large towns. 

The Automobile Association underwriters insure members 
at Lloyds under what is certainly the most liberal policy 
existing, while the Association’s lawyers give the members 
legal advice, and are prepared to defend them in any police- 
court proceedings under the Motor-Car Acts for twelve 
months for the inclusive fee of two guineas. 

The Automobile Association badge is well known to 
everybody on the road, and has established a sort of 
freemasonry amongst members. In practice the Automobile 
Association does all that it professes to do, with the result 
that at a recent public dinner a well-known motorist said in 
his speech that the Automobile Association is one of the 
too few motoring organisations from which he got full value 
for his subscription. 

The scope for such a practical, common-sense organisation 
is almost without limit, and each meeting of the Committee 
sees the functions of the Association increasing on practical 
lines. 

Until recently it has been a reasonable cause for complaint 
from motorists in the North and the Midlands that the 
Southern counties were unduly favoured in the matter of 
scouts, but this has now been removed by the establishment 
of a large Northern branch in Manchester, from which the 
roads are being organised and patrolled with a lavishness 
equal in every way to that which marks the work at 
headquarters. 

The Automobile Association offices in Manchester are 
excellently situated at 30, Cross Street, in the very centre 
of the town. 

The benefits of the Automobile Association are, however, by 
no means confined to its members. It has always been part of 
its policy to protect all motorists on the road, irrespective of 
whether their cars carried the member’s badge or not, and the 


3i6 


THE AMATEUR MOTORIST 


public are benefited by the village signs, danger notices, and 
warning boards which have been erected by hundreds in all 
parts of the United Kingdom. This important work is being 
very carefully carried out, and no danger sign with the 
familiar “ A.A.” upon it is allowed to be erected until an 
official of the Association has inspected the spot and certified 
that a warning is absolutely necessary. Thus there is no 
fear of the cry of “Wolf! wolf!” from the drivers, and the 
public are protected from the danger of thoughtless driving. 

Amongst other lines upon which the Automobile Asso¬ 
ciation is proposing to develop is the admission of motor¬ 
cyclists to the privilege of membership at the subscription of 
half a guinea per annum ; and the establishment of touring 
facilities is looming large in the eye of the executive. 

To sum up, the Automobile Association was called into 
existence to fill an urgent want, and has filled it so successfully 
that it has become a tremendous organisation. Always 
working and always developing in the best interests of auto- 
mobilism, its originators and organisers find their reward in 
its immense success. 

Lastly, a word for the New Motor Club in Coventry Street. 
This is purely a social organisation, and a very delightful one 
at that. It occupies the well-known buildings at the corner 
of Coventry Street, and is the daily rendezvous of many 
well-known figures in the motoring world. 


SOME DRIVING MAXIMS 


I^EVER pass another vehicle, proceeding In your direction, 

^ upon a corner. 

If you see any possible difficulty ahead, go dead slow. 
Never take the risk of the road clearing by the time you arrive. 

Pass cattle dead stow. They cross the road for the same 
reason as a chicken—to get to the other side. They will pro-- 
bably choose the moment of your appearance. 

Be very chary of the timber lorry. If the horse drawing it 
gives the slightest sign of fear, put! up some distance from 
him. Should he shy, the timber will swing out over the road, 
and try conclusions with your head. Do not submit to Insulting 
comparisons. 

Learn to let the engine brake the car. A good driver uses 
his brakes but rarely. He runs up to danger with a dosed 
throttle. 

Beware of fast driving over ruts. They throw the car about 
like a bail. They may throw you off the road. 

Cars will not side-slip upon snow, but will slip upon Ice. 
Non-skid bands make matters worse under these conditions. 

Remember that non-skids will slip upon a very dry road if 
you are taking a corner at high speeds. They will also skid 
freely upon wet flags or pave. 

A front-wheel skid calls for the application of the brakes; 
a back-wheel skid never. If your car be given to skidding upon 
the front wheels, have a non-skid upon the off fore wheel. It 
will hold you round the corners. Dunlop non-skids upon the 
front wheel are splendid. 

Clutch slipping upon a leather-faced dutch is the habit of 
the poor driver, or of a clever rogue with a bad car to sell. 

317 


THE AMATEUR MOTORIST 


318 

Never open the throttle with a jerk. Advance it notch by 
notch or you will choke your engine. 

Do not drive with ignition retarded. The condition of your 
valves is not improved thereby^ nor of your cylinder heads. 

Beware of allowing your engine to knock. Retard the ignition 
notch by notch until the knock ceases. 

But remember, also, that a knock may sometimes come from 
over-retarded ignition attending carburettor deficiencies, and 
that an advance may check it. Experience alone is a guide 
to this. 

If your engine gets very hot in traffic, try driving her with 
the throttle almost closed, and the ignition well advanced. In 
this case, she must be kept upon the highest speed she 
will take. 

I 

Never pass a tram-car, proceeding in your direction, upon 
the off-side until you can see the road is absolutely dear. 

Horn at approaching carts of the heavy order. There may 
be a small boy hanging on behind. 

Never drive five mites in ignorance of what your lubricator 
is showing you. The oil may not be flowing. In this case 
your subsequent bill may be anything between ten pounds and 
a hundred. 

Do not zig-zag about the roads, but take smooth and steady 
curves. Let your alteration of direction be gradual. Pass well 
out from the off coming in again gradually. 

Never do ** stunts with your car. The insurance companies 
do not like it. 

When the ostler fills up your petrol tank with water, 
remember that he may have children depending upon him. 

Think half-a-mile ahead when driving a fast car. The other 
man is sure to do the wrong thing. 

Do not use your side-brakes upon a corner. They may give 
you a skid if they are not perfectly compensated. 

Try your brakes every morning directly you are upon 
the road. 


SOME DRIVING MAXIMS 319 

Always give a glance at the change-speed lever before 
getting down from the driver's seat. 

If you break a chain, fix the sprocket thereof, and drive 
home sio\^iy. 

Do not always be going ** all out." Remember the Chinaman 
who said, " Oo like hellee, walk five miiee." 

Beware of the right-hand corner. Make a wide sweep and 
horn freely. 

Never pass a Street Refuge at a greater speed than a crawl. 




Printed by Hasell, Watson <S* Viney, Ld., London and Aylesbury. 







INDEX 


Acceleration, 59, 130 
Accelerator pedal unadvisable for 
a beginner’s car, 46 ; supple¬ 
mentary teacher’s, 47 
Accidents, 8, 62, 63, 67, 254, 266 
Accumulators, 35, 71, 86, 93, 95, 
96 ff., 106, 289 ff. ^ee also 

Ignition. 

Acetone, 290 
Acid, 95, 96, 97 

Adams-Hewitt Car, 153. See also 
Small Cars. 

Adjustment of coil, 98 
Aga-Khan Reliability Trials, 180 
Air-lock in pipes, 133 
Air movement in jet-chamber, 124 If. 
A. J. Wilson Challenge Cup, 305 
Albemarle St., 312 
Albert Brown Trophy, 210 
Alsace, 246 

Alternating current, 99 
Amateur drivers, increase of, 24 
American cloth, 300 
Ammonia, 95 
Amsterdam, 247 
Anglian, 285 
Angouleme, 240, 245 
Antwerp, 272 
Appeal Court, 311 
Arcachon, 306 
Ardennes, Circuit des, 191 
Argyll Car, 22 ; described in de¬ 
tail, 165 ff. 5 ee rt/su Small Cars. 
— Company Training School, 77 
Ariel Car, 225 
Arlberg Mountains, 254 
Arles, 245 
Arnheim, 247 

Arrol-Johnson Car described, 170 
Art Cane, 302 
Autocar, The, 161 
Auto-Cycle Club, 284, 299 
Automobile Association, 160, 174, 
252, 265, 266, 312 ff; Chairman 
and Committee, 314 ; Man¬ 
chester Branch, 315 ; Scouts, 
252, 312 


Automobile Club of France, 218 
Avignon, 245 

Baby /., 305 

—305 

Back-fire, 36, 92, 117 
1 Badminton, 175 
; Balliol, 253 
1 Balzac, 240 
. Barnet, 252 

I Batteries. See Accumulators, 
i Battlefields of 1870, 246 
I Beaconsfield, 253 
Beaufort Cars, 68, in, 153 
Belfort, 246 
Belgium, 247 

Belts for motor-cycles, 282, 284 
Benz, 4, 5 
Berliet Car, 225 
Bermuda Races, 306 
Besancon, 246 
Bexhill Trials, 211 
Binks, Mr. Charles, 282 
Birdlip, 298 

Bischoli carburettor, 124 
Bismarck, 247 
Blackpool, 213 
I Blocks in traffic, 59 
I Blois, 245 

I Bodies, 14, 155, 157, 174, '.*30 
I detachable, 157, 186 
I Bolts, 86 

I Bordeaux, 248, 300 ; Bordeaux 

Road, 241 ; finest in world, 245 
Borghese, Prince, 199 
Bosworth, Colonel, 174, 314 
Boulogne, 244 
Bowden filter, 91, 118 
Boyle’s law, 125 
Brakes, 43, 59, 60, 71, 138, 317, 
318; care of, 139, oiling, 90; 
testing, 139 ; engine used as 
brake, 317 
Brand, George, 175 
Brasier, Richard, 11 r 
Brasier Car, described ‘in detail, 
170 ff. 


321 


21 





INDEX 


322 

Bridge tolls, 311 
Brighton, opening run to, 271 
British editors, 246 

— Motor-Boat Club, 305, 306 
Brittany, 243 
Brooke, Mr. Mawdsley, 173, 304 
Brooke Car, described in detail, 173 

— Motor-boats, 173, 306 
Brooklands, 211, 212 
Brooks, J. B., 261 
Buist, Mr. Massac, 208, 209 
Burberry, 259 

Burners, 7 
Burst tyres, 146 
Buzzing in coil, 94 

Cambell-Balfour, Sir Lord, 241 
Canvas covers for spare tyres and 
tubes, 85, 145 
Cape-cart hood, 156 
Carbon brush, 104 
Carburation, science of, 123-31 
Carburettor, 30 ff., 71, 94, 113,115 ff., 
128 ; Krebs, Merc6des, Zenia, 115; 
in motor-cycles, 294 
Carburettor-controller, 121 
Careless drivers, 47, 52, 54, 60, 

63-5. 140 

Carle, L, 207 
Carriages. See Bodies. 

Cars described in detail, 164 
Large cars, 74, 76, 121, 149, 150, 
152 

Open cars, 15, 156 
Quiet cars, 168, 175, 178, 179, 
199, 201, 207, 221. See also 
Purchase, expenses, etc. 

Small cars, 15, 22, 68, 76, 149, 
151 ff., 170, 175, 184 ff., 199, 
207 ff., 215 ff. 

Caustic soda, 91 
Caution, 26, 54, 60, 62 
Celluloid cells, 96 
Centrifugal pump, 37 
Chain, broken, 318 
Chain-driven motor-cycles, 283 
Chamois leather, 79 
Chamonix, 246 

Change-speed lever, 39, 46, 318 
Changing gears, 48 ff., 70, 178, 211 
Charcoal stove, 84 
Charging-board, 86, 87, 99, 100 
Charron Car, 173, 174 
Charron, Monsieur, 173 
Chartres—Tours Road, 259 
Chasseloup-Laubat, Marquis of, i, 3 
Chateau La Rose, 240 


Chauffeurs, 62, 72 ff. 

Chinaman’s advice, 318 

Choke-tube, 126 

Cleaning of car, 79, 85, 86 

Clement, 174 

Clermont Ferrand, 245 

Clothes, 258, 262, 300 

Clutch, 37, 38, 48, 50, 60, 83, 90, 

133 ff- 

Clutch-slipping, 50, 317 
Coil, 93 ff., 291 
Cold weather, 86 
Coleman, Frederick, 234 
Cologne, 248 
Colour of car, 158, 

Commutator, 90, 93 
Compensation Act, 267 
Compression Taps, 92 
Contact points, 97 If., 105, 292 
Contact-breakers, 97, loi 
Continental touring, 237-49 

— tyres, 143 

Cooke, Mr. Stenson, 312 
Corbett, Captain, 306 
Cork Harbour, 305 
Corners, 63, 65, 67, 318 
Cor niche, 245 
Cornwall, touring in, 253 
Corrosion, 95, 290 
Coventry Motor Club Hill Climb, 
212 

Coventry St., 313 
Crank shaft, 38, 93 
Cromer, 252, 258 

Crossley Brothers, Messrs., 176, 178 
Crossley Cars described in detail, 
176 ff. 

Cross-roads, 62 ff. 

Custom House, 241-7 
Cyclist Patrol Corps, 313 
Cyclist Tourist Trophy Race, 281 

Daimler, 2, 7, 19, 163, 304 

— Car described in detail, 180 ff. 
Dampness, 87, 144 

Darracq, 100, loi, 153, 184, 225 
De Dietrich Cars described in 
detail, 190 ff. 

De Dion, 2, 5, 6, 19, 20, 27, 41, 68, 
149, 152, 271 

-Cars described in detail, 184 ff. 

-Tricycles, 41, 271 

Defensive weapons, 300 
Delahayes, 6 

Delauney-Belville Cars described 
in detail, 186 ff. 

Delhi-Bombay Contest, 191 



INDEX 


323 


“ Der Kaiserpreiz,” 194 
Detachable bodies, 157, 186 

— rims, 13, 140 ff, 

Devon, touring in, 253 
Diana of Poitiers, 245 
Dickens, 256 

Diesel carburettor, 124 
Differential, 37, 40, 41, 84, 86, 90, 
91, 140 

Direct drive, 40, 168 
Discharged batteries, 97 
Distilled water, 91, 96 
Divisional Court, 310 
Doctors’ cars, 311 
Drivers, coachmen and cyclists as, 
62. See also Careless. 

Driving, 25 ff., 53 ff., 2:;!;, 317, 

318 

Driving-shaft, 39, 40 
Dubrelle lubricator, 89 
Dunlop Company, 142 

— tyres, 317 
Dust nuisance, 312 

Ebonite cells, 96 

Edge, S. F., 6, S5, 138, 164, 209, 

213. 314 

Edison’s “ Phantasmagoric Accu¬ 
mulator, II, 12 
“ E.I.C.” sparking-plug, 293 
Electricians, 99, 100 
Electric-light stations, 99 
Elliot, Mr., 2 
Ellis, Mr., 2 

Emancipation Acts, 3, 4, 8, 269, 
271 

Emergencies, 48, 62 
Endorsement of licence, 311 
Engine, 22, 30, 56, 59, 79, 86 
English touring, 250-9 

— injustice to motorists, 250, 251 
Essex County Club Hill Climb, 212 
Estcourt, Mr., 304 

Excise, 301, 303 
Exhaust pipes, 32 
Expenses, 73, 83, 145, 149 ff., 170 ff., 
179, 182, 184 ff., 191, 192, 198, 
229, 259, 285, 301. See also 
Purchase, etc. 

Experts, 26, 54, 62, 66, 69 ff., 120 

Fairy Motor-cycle, 280 
Fan, 36, 37, 67, 90, III, 132 
Faste.st hill-climb by petrol car, 212 
F.I.A.T. Car, 22, 67, in ; described 
in detail, 193 ff. 

Filing. 97 


, Filters, 91 
I Finsbury Square, 246 
Float. 30, 91, 119 
Float-chamber, 30, 119, 121, 130 
Fly-wheel, 29, 37 
F. N. Motor-cycle, 280 
I'olkestone-Roulogne route 24^ 
266 . • 

Fontainebleu. 243 
Forcing openings in traffic, 57 
Forecar, 301, 302 
' Foreign chauffeurs, 75, 79 
' Forest of Dean, 253 
I Fournier, Henri, 54, 209 
I France, touring in, 238, 243 ff. 
i Francis, 245 

French authorities, 238, 241 

— chalk, 147 

— chauffeurs, 79 

— engineers, 195 

— hostelries, 240 

— motor-laws, 241 

— roads, 238, 239 
Fuel supply, 127, 130 
Future, possibilities of the. 9 ff. 

Gamage, 145 
Garonne, 240, 248 
Gas, 29 ff., 70 ; dangerous in motor 
house, 84 

Gear-box, 38, 39, 84, 86, 90, 91, 
138 

Gearing, high, 128 
Gearing of motor-cycles, 284 
Gears, “ missing ” of, 49 
Geneva, Lake, 246 
Georges-Richard Car, 172 
German authorities, 246 ; consul - 
general, 246 ; Emperor’s Cup, 194 
Germany, touring in, 246, 247 
Gillett, Mr., on the “ science of 
carburation,” 123-31 
Gillett-Lehmann carburettor-con¬ 
troller, 121, 123, 129 
' Girardot, Monsieur, 173, 239 
' Gladstone, Mr. Herbert, 246 
! Gloucester, 253, 258, “ New Inn,” 
253 

: Godfrey Barine Cup, 305 
I Golden rule for carburettors, 122 
Goldsworthy Gurney’s steam 
vehicle, 2 

Gordon-Bennett Race, 170, 305 
Grand Prix, 171, 194 
Gravelotte, 246 
Gravity feed, 113 
Grease-cups, 90 


i 






INDEX 


Greasing, 86, 138 
Great North Road, 255 
Grille, 261 
Grit in jet, 119 
Gudgeon pin, 165, 277, 295 
Guildford, High St,, 285 
Guise, 245 

Haarlem, 248 
Hague, 248 
Hallinam, P., 175 
Hancock’s steam coach, 2. 

Hand cross Road, 225 
Harmsworth Cup, 305 
Harvey Du Cros, 213 
Hatfield, 252 
Havant, 310 
Havre, 244 

Hele-Shaw clutch, 135, 137 
“ Heresies,” 50, 65, 66, 68, 70 
Henry, 245 

Herkomer Trophy Contest, 211 
Hertford County Club Trophy, 210 
High-powered cars in towns, 54 
High-tension accumulator, 289 
-magneto, 100, loi, 103, 163, 

293 

Highways Protection Committee, 

311 

High Wycombe, 253 

Hills, 46, 63, 179, 211, 254, 298, 

303 

Hill climbs, 212 
Hold-all, 262 
Holden, Colonel, 271 
Holland & Holland, Messrs,, 155 
HoTand, touring in, 247, 248 
Holywell Hill, 285 
Hood, Cape-cart, 156 
Horn, 36, 66, 159, 318 
” Horsiness,” 2, 8, ii 
Hotchkiss Car, 225 ; described in 
detail, 195 ff. ; its great road 
test, 196 

Humber Cars, 19 ; described in 
detail, 199 

Ibimber bicycles, 273 
Hunstanton, 252 

Ignition, 34, 70, 91 ff., 102 ff,, 116, 
177, 286, 289, 317, 318 
India, 180 

India-rubber bags for spare tubes, 

145 

Indicator (speed), 159 
Injustice to motorists, 250, 251 J 
Inspection of car, 86 


Institute of Cycle and Motor En¬ 
gineers, 282 
Instone, E. M. C., 180 
Insurance, 264 ff., 310; abroad, 
265 ; against fire, 264, 265 ; 

ideal policy, 268 ; third-party 
claims, 264, 266 
International Cup, 306 
Irish Reliability Trials, 171, 175 
Irish roads, 172 
Irridium, 293 
Irun, 242 

Isle of Man, 170, 175 
Itala Cars, 111 ; described in detail, 
199 

Japanese rush basket, 300 
Jardin de Paris, 245 
Jarrott, Mr. Charles, 6, 26, 54, 61, 
176, 193, 314 

Jeffreys, Mr. Rees, 308, 312 
Jet, 30, 119, 121, 128, 130 
“ Jockey Club,” 308 
John o’Groats, 253, 299 
Johnson, Mr. Claude, 224 
Julia Lavelli, 239 
Jura, 246 

Kellner, Messrs., 15, 155, 156, 157 
“ Knocking,” 318 
Knowledge of car, 28, 48, 68, 69, 
88, 92 

Krebs Carburettor, 115, 163 

Ladies as drivers, 176, 186, 191, 21T 
La Motosacoche Motor-cycle, 280 
Lamp, electric, 160 
Lanchester Cars, 19, 260 ; de¬ 

scribed in detail, 201 ff. 
Lanchester, Frederick W., 2or 
Lancia, 54, 67 

Landaulettes unsuitable for touring, 
21 

Land’s End, 299 
Langstone Bridge, 310 
Large cars, 74, 76, 121, 149, 150 
Largest petrol engine, 306 
Lancia, 193 

Leakages, 85, 86, 95, 96, 119, 132, 
290, 296 

Leather-cone clutch, 133 ff. 
Lehmann, 123 

Leicester A.C. Hill Climb, 212 

Leon Bollee, 2, 6, 271 

Le Queux, 16 

Letts, W. M., 190 

Levassor, 2, 3, 5, 186, 213, 216 






INDEX 


Lewis, Mr., 152 
" Life ” in a car, 179, 231 
Limousine, 15, 55, 155, 262 
Lincoln, 258 
Live axle, 40, 233 
Lloyds, 265, 315 
I.ocomobiles, 7 

London-Cowes Motor-Boat Races, 
306 

London and Parisian Motor Co., 
Ltd., 197 

— Motor Garage Co., 80 
Lorraine, 246 
Lowestoft, 252 

Low-tension magneto, loi, no, 

III, 177 

Lubrication, 88 ff., 140, 188, 318 
Imggage, 260 ff. 

Luncheon-basket, 160, 257 
Lyons, 253 

Macmahon, 246 

Magneto, 92, 94, 100, loi, 103 ff., 
106, 109, 188, 200, 220, 222, 294 
Eiseman magneto, 106 ; Fuller. 
106 ; Simms-Bosch, 103 ff. 

“ Make-and-break,” 100, loi, 291 ff. 
Manchester Motor Club Hill Climb, 
212 

Manette, 35, 46 
Masks, 7 
Max, 254 

Maxims, driving, 317 
Mayard, 3 

Mercedes Car, 8, 12, 19, 74, 76, loi, 
III, 1 16, 134, 145, 163, 177. 195. 
201, 204, 225 ; described in 

detail, 204 ff. 

Merry Monsieur, 190, 191 
“ Metal-to-metal ” clutch, 133 ff. 
Mews as motor-house, 81 
IMial Green Cup, 306 
Michelin tjTes, 143 

— tyre-gauge, 143 
Midland A. C. Hill Climb, 212 
Minerva Motors, 272, 298 
Misfiring, 116 

Missed gears, 49 
“ Missionary efforts,” 17 
Mixing-chamber, 31 
Models for 1908, 165, 170, 173, 182, 
184, 185, 187, 197, 199, 200, 204. 
213, 222, 229 
Moltke, von, 247 
Monaco Races, 305 
Money-Coutts, Mr., 175 
Montagu, Lord, i 


325 

Mors Cars, 19 ; described in detail, 
206 

Mors clutch, 138 
Mors, M. Emile, 206 
Mosses, A., 174 
Motor Acts, 310, 311 
Motor-boats, 173, 304 ff. 

-cycle, 268, 298 ff. ; purchase of, 

275 ff- I weight and horse-power, 
279, 280, single-cylinder, 280, 
twin-cylinder, 280. 281, 290, 

296; three-cylinder, 282 ; four- 
cylinder, 282 ; how to keep in 
order, 287 ff. 

Motor-cycle, The, 284 
Motor-cycling Club Hill Climb, 212 

-house, 81 ff., iron-built houses, 

87 ; ideal motor-house, 87 
Mountainous districts, 253 ff. 

Mud on car, 79, 85, 86 
Mules, 255 
Mullet, I 5 

Mulliner, Messrs, 155 

Napier Car, 19, 74, 138, 159, 162 
209 ; described in detail, 209 ff. 
its records, 212 
— clutch, 138 
” Napier green,” 159 
” Napoleonic ” roads, 238, 247 
National Show at Crystal Palace, 
270 

Nazarro, 193, 194 
Needle-valv'e, bent, 119 
Netherhall Ciardens, 224 
“ New Inn ” at Gloucester, 253 
Newmarket, 252 
New Motor Club, 316 
Night-driving, 255 
“Non-skids,” 144, 248, 301, 317 
North-Eastern A. .\. Ragpath Hill 
Climb, 212 

-Lane A.C. Hill Climb, 212 

Northey, Percy, 224 
North Herts, A.C. Hill Climb, 212 
Norwich High Road, 252 
N.S.U. Motor-cycle, 280 
Netting Hill Training School, 77 
Novice, 28, 29, 46, 68, 71, 78, 105, 
275 

Nursing the engine, 56, 69 

O’Gorman, Mr., 182 
Oiling. Sec Lubrication. 

Oil-pump, 89 , 

Oil-tank, 89 

Old Bexhill Post Office, 225 




326 


INDEX 


Olympian Show, 197 
Orleans, 245 

Ormond Reach, 212, 213 
Otto Cycle, 2, 32, 297 
“ Other Man,” the, 318 
Oxford, 253 

Palmer tyres, 143 

Panhard Car, 3, 5, 6, 14, 19, 134, 
162, 174, 193 ; described in de¬ 
tail, 213 ff. 

Panhard-Levassor, 3, 213 
” Panliard red,” 158, 159 
“ Papers,” 242, 244, 246 
Paraffin, 92, 307 
Paris-Avignon Road, 245 

-Bordeaux Race, 3 

-Brest Race, 217 

-Exhibition, 217 

-Madrid Race, 193, 207 

-Marseilles-Paris Competition, 

218 

-Marseilles Race of 1896, 3 

-Peking Race, 199 

-Rouen Race, 217 

-Vienna Race, 254 

Passing vehicles on the road, (53 
Pan, 245 

Pemberton, A. C., 269 
Peto and Radford, Messrs, 95 
Petrol, V. steam and electricity, 12, 
miles per gallon, 121, 171, 175, 
210, 211, 224, 225, 231 ; how gas 
is obtained from it, 29 ; used as 
cleanser, 79 
-paraffin engine, 307 

— pipe, 117, 118 

— tank, 30, 318 
Peugeot, Mr. Armand, 217 

— Brothers, 217 

— Cars, 6 ; described in detail, 217 

— motor-vans and tricycles, 217 
Phelon & Moore Bicycles, ^273, 

283, 285 

Phoenix two-speed hub, 285 
Pistons, 29, 32 ffi, 69, 92, 116, 117, 
126, 129, 165 
Piston-rings, 296 
Pit, 83 

Platinum contact points, 97 ff., 105, 
292 

Plugs, 35, 94, 98, loi, 112, 293 

” Pneucure,” 288 

Poitiers, 240, 245 

Police-traps, 250, 251, 252, 311 

Pommard, 240 

Porlock Hill, 253 


Power in inverse ratio to speed, 126 
Pressure-pump, 118 
Pressure-valve, 116, 117, 163 
Prince’s Buildings, 313 
Propeller-shaft, 40, 139 
Provence, 243 

Prudence a virtue, 26, 54, 60, 62 
Pugh-Lanchester radiator, 201 
Pump-spindle, broken, 132 
Punctures, 13, 141, 146, 148 
Purchase of car, t 6, 18, 19 ff. ; 

prices, 170, 173, 174, 179, 182, 
184, 186, 191, 198, 229, 230, 234 
-motor-cycle, 275, 285 

Racing the engine, 56, 59, 86 
Radiator, 36, 91, 132 ff. 
Rambouillet, 239 
Rear brake, how to get at, 84 
Reliability Trial, 180. See also 
Irish, Scotch. 

Reminiscences, etc., 4, 6, 7, 17, 22, 
44ff., 51, 53, 58,68,71, 72,75. 76. 
89, 102, 121, 134, 135, 143, 145, 
149, 153, 163, 174, 179, 237 ff., 
253-5, 260, 266, 270, 301 
Repairers, 297 

Renault Car, 19, 22 ; described in 
detail, 219 

Reversing the current, 99 
Revolutions of engine, 38 
Rex V. Wells, 310 
Reynolds roller-chains, 223 
Richmond Park, 225 

— Show, 201 

Rich’s patent air-tubes, 288 
Roads Improvement Association, 
312 

Rochet-Schneider Cars, 149, 262 ; 

described in detail, 211 
Roi des Beiges, 14 
Rolls, Hon. C. S., i, 2, 224 

-Royce Cars, 55 ; described in 

detail, 224 
Rotterdam, 248 
Rover Car, 152 

— Clutch, 138 

Royal Automobile Club, 77, 80, 182, 
196, 203, 209, 210, 211, 212, 224, 
225, 226, 228, 241, 244, 305, 308, 
312 

-engineer, 310 

— Commission, 310 
Royce, F. H,, 224, 227 
Royston, 252 

Rule of the road, 66 

Rules for changing a tube, 146-8 




INDEX 


327 


Rules for changing a cover, 148 

-lubricating, 90 

-motor-house, 85, 86 

-timing Simms-Bosch mag¬ 
neto, 106 
Ruts, 317 


Saint-Denis works, 189 

— Sernin Church, 245 
Salamons, Sir David, 2 
Salisbury, Marquis of, 242 
Saurer patent starting device, 216 
Sayers, Messrs., 155 

Scotch cars, 170 

Scottish Automobile Club’s Trials, 
225, 226 

— Reliability Trials, 171, 175, 228 
Seccotine, 295 

Second-hand cars, sale of, 161 £f. 

-motor-cycles, 275 ff. 

Security bolts, 148 
Selvyt, 79 

Shipping a motor, 238, 241, 244, 
248, 266 

“ Shoes ” of pedal-brake, 43, 71 
Short circuit, 93 
Siddeley Cars, 153, 226 
Side-car, 303 

-chains, 40 

-entrance, 156 

--slip, 317 

Simms-Bosch magneto, 103, 108, 
111 

Singer’s motor-cycle, 273 
Single-cylinder motor-cycles, 280 
Six-cylinder cars, 55, 138, 173, 184 
196 ff., 204, 209, 210, 222,227,234 
Slowing down, 60, 317 
Smith and Palfrey, 142 
Smith’s, Messrs, (of Strand), rolling- 
machine, 146; speed-indicator, 
159; horns, 159; electric lamp, 160 
Soldering, 119 
Somerset, 253 
Southampton Trials, 305 
South-Eastern Railway, 266 
Southern Motor Club Hill Climb, 211 
Spain, touring in, 242, 300 
Spanish authorities, 242 
Spare covers, 86, 143 

— tubes, 145 

— wheel (Stepney), 142 
Sparking, 33, 35, 36, 94 
Speed, 12, 60 

-indicators, 159 

Sponge, 79 


Spyker Car, 83 ; described in de¬ 
tail, 229 

— Herr, 229, 247, 248 

Squire and Macerone’s machine, 2 
Starley, 275 
Star wheel, 41 

Starting, 14, 47, 48, 51, 91 ff. 
Steering, 49, 51 

-leathers, 86 

-gear, 90 

-wheel, 47, 302 

Stevenage, 252 
Stevens, Major, 243 
Stocks, J. W. M., 184 
Stopping, 46, 51, 52, 60, 63 
Street Refuge, 318 
Studded tyres. See Non-skids. 

“ Stunts,” 54, 64, 318 

Suction stroke of piston, 29,^30, £15 

Sulphuric aci I 96 

Sun Rising Hill, 67 

Sussex A. C. Hill Climb, 212 

Sutton’s tyre-gauge, 143 

Switch, 93, 291 

Swift Cars, 19, 20, 68, 149 

System desirable, 85 

Tangye 307 

Tappets, loi, 110, in 

Tarbes, 243, 245 

Targa Florio Cup, 193 

Teacher’s supplementary pedal, 47 

Terminals, 93, 94, 95 . 97 , 

Test cases, 310 

Theft of motor-cars, 267 

Thery, 173 

Third-party claims, 264, 266 
Throttle, 48, 52, 60, 66, 70, 90, 126, 
317. 318 

Thrupp and Maberly, Messrs. 175 
Timber lorry, 317 
“Timing,” 106, 128, 297 
Tinkering with engine, 86 
Tools, 86 
Tintern, 253 

Touffault shock-reducers, 218 
Toulouse, 243 

Touring, the joys of, 238, 240, 248, 
256 ff. 

— expenses of, 258 

Tourist Trophy Race, 170, 175, 224 

Tours, 240, 243, 245 

Town and country driving, 54 ff. 

— Carriage Competition, 235 
Trailer, 301 

Training schools, 77 
Transmission of power, 37 




INDEX 


328 

Trembler blades, 99 ff., 293 
Tri-cars, 300 

Turcat, Monsieur, 190, 191 
Twenty Hours Reliability Trials, 

30s 

Two-cylinder cars, 218, 224 
Tyres, 13, 86, 143 ff., 170, 175, 192 
Tyre-gauge, 143 
— repairs, 288 

Under-tray, 86 
Universal joint, 40 
Utrecht, 248 

Valves, 30, 32, 33, 125, 145, 148, 
295, 296 

Variable time of firing, 124 
Vaseline, 25, 290 
Verdun, 246 
Voigt, 173 
Voltage, 96 
Voltmeter, 71, 93, 289 

Watawata belt, 283 


Wayte, Mr. Ben, 174 
Weigel Car, iii, 179 ; described in 
detail, 230 

Weigel, D. M., 230, 254 
Wellington, Mr. Frank, 229, 247 
Westerham, 298 
Werners, 269, 272 
j White Steam Car, 234 
White-hot tubes, 7 
Williamson, Mr. and ]\Irs, 16 
Wills, Mr., 260 
Winchester, 258 

Windham, Lieutenant, 151, 152 
Wires, 93, 100, 103 
Wolverhampton A. C. Hill Climb, 
212 

Worth, 246 
Yarmouth, 252 

Yorkshire A. C. Hill Climb, 212 

Zborowski, Count, 23 
Zenia Carburettor, 116 
Zola, 239 


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